Running From The Past To Embrace The Future
by LadyCizzle
Summary: AU. Lisa died during the battle of Canary Wharf and Ianto moves from London to Wales to find the meaning to his life again. He would have never guessed that a simple walk in the park would lead him to Jack Harkness and the life he wanted to leave behind. But Ianto soon realizes that you can't run from your past, only embrace the future it leads you to. Janto
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** No, you're eyes are not playing tricks on you. Ladycizzle is back with another full lenght, multi-chapter Torchwood fic. This story was two years in the making, with me working on it on and off and sometimes wanting to delete it from my computer and my memory. But, my muse wouldn't let me. She promised that she would stick with me until the end and here I am. Yay me. For the record this is AU, Janto Slash, and features the original team. No Gwen, well not now anyways. Well I'm going to let you read. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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**Chapter One**

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Ianto Jones stared out into the distance, oblivious to everything the man in front of him was saying. It's not as if it mattered. Since that day, almost a week ago, Ianto Jone's life seemed to no longer exist. Rain fell lightly on the tarp above him and as much as he hated rain he appreciated it. Not for himself but for Lisa who adored rain and thunderstorms more than a normal person should. Maybe it was her way of telling him she was fine and that everything would be okay.

Finally the priest said Amen and everyone echoed, all except Ianto. He didn't register that the funeral was actually over until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Ianto."

He turned to the woman sitting beside him. Marissa Hallett, Lisa's older sister by six years, kept her hand on Ianto's shoulder as her own eyes filled with tears. "Why did this happen to Lisa? She was a good person and she deserved better than this," asked Ianto, sullenly.

Shaking her head so that her long black hair flowed graciously, she frowned. "I don't know."

"I don't know either," whispered Ianto as he watched the casket slowly being lowered in the ground. "I wish I did but-"

She squeezed his shoulder harder. "It's not your fault Ianto. If you could have helped her you would have."

"If I could I would have traded places with her. She deserved to live more than I do."

"Don't say things like that," Marissa hissed as she grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "Don't you dare say things like that."

"It's true. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

"And that's the reason you need to keep going. She wouldn't want you to give up on life just because hers ended. Lisa loved you too much for that."

"I don't know if I can."

"You can and you will. If not for you then do it for her, in honor of her memory and love she had for you."

"But what if I can't."

"You at least have to try." Marissa didn't say anything, instead she joined Ianto and the two of them gazed into the distance.

Three weeks later Ianto walked through his now empty flat, furiously wiping away the tears that had fallen from his eyes. All his things were in a truck parked across the street waiting to be to their new destination. The only items that remained where the things that belonged to Lisa, and her family had promised to pick up later.

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Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a black velvet box and placed it on the mantle. It was an engagement ring that he had brought nearly three months ago when he realized he was ready for the next step in his and Lisa's relationship. Ianto wanted to propose more than anything but he wanted the moment to be perfect. Sadly he would never get the chance. Lisa was gone, killed in battle during a fight with horrible monsters known as Cybermen.

The day had started off normal enough. He and Lisa arrived on time at Torchwood One, gave each a brief kiss, and went their separate ways. Ianto down to the archivist facility and Lisa to the researcher's floor. He immediately cataloging the alien artifact and uploading his findings into the computer all while wondering where he could take Lisa for lunch. Ianto had no idea that in a few short moments his life would change forever.

Suddenly the alarms sounded and the doors around him went into emergency lock-down. Ianto immediately sprung into action, nearly escaping through the door before he was completely locked in. That's when he heard it, people screaming loudly as mechanical voices filled the air.

'_Exterminate. Exterminate.'_

Ianto made his way through the building. There was fallen debris, smoke, and fire all around him. Rubble from the walls and ceilings. Lights flickering and crackling due to an electric shortage. Painfully cries filled his ears as his colleagues were slaughter around him. Pools of blood on the floor and smeared on the walls. Ianto wanted to help everyone but he couldn't. He was on a mission to find someone he needed more than anything. Lisa.

With stealth-like precision, he carefully made his way down the now empty corridor keeping a watchful eye out. Climbing over the fallen rubble and bodies, he remembered he had his cell phone in his pocket. Quickly, he pulled it out and tried to call Lisa. Hoping that she was somewhere safe with her phone still on her. Unfortunately his call didn't go through and it appeared that the phone lines were down.

Still, he kept trudging through. Small flames danced around him as smoke filled the air, burning his eyes. He had half a mind to give up, to stay where he was and wait, either to be rescued or killed. That was until finally he heard a sound that made his heart stop.

"_Ianto."_

"_Lisa," he called back. Down at the end of the hall was Lisa, lying in a doorway. Her lower body pinned under debris. He raced to her side and immediately began moving the fallen rubble. _

"_Ianto you came," she tried to smile but a cough prevented her from doing so. Her head covered with scratches and blood, she reached out her hand to touch his. "Are you alright."_

He tried to hold back the chuckle that eventually escaped his voice. That was Lisa, caring about others before herself. "I'm fine. I came here for you. I came here to save you."

"_Ianto you can't save me. You need to get out."_

"_Lisa-"_

Lisa began shaking her head as she began speaking. "The ghosts, they weren't ghosts at all. They were aliens. Aliens that Yvonne let in through the void. One called Cybermen, they're taking people and converting them to be just like them. They kill you if you refuse."

"_How did you escape?"_

Her entire body was shaking but she kept talking. Grabbing Ianto's hand tighter she continued telling Ianto what happened. "We ran to try and get away but I got caught by a Cyberman. Before it had a chance to fire Michael, a field agent, pushed me out of the way and took the blast. I used his gun to kill it and then came in here to hide. There was an explosion and next thing I knew I was trapped under this…rubble."

Ianto gasped. He had removed some of the debris but not all of it. Some of was too heavy for him to lift but maybe, if he tried harder. "I can get you out."

"_Those things…they might come back," Lisa replied brokenly._

"_I don't care."_

"_I do!" she yelled back, coughing again. This time blood trickled down the side of her mouth. A sign of internal bleeding, they both knew. Ianto used his hand to wipe it away. "It's too late for me, I can feel it."_

"_Lisa."_

Lisa's entire body ached as it was racked with chills. The blood that came from mouth confirmed her fears. There would be no getting out of the building alive for her. Even with that in her head she couldn't lie down and watch Ianto risk his life for hers. Hers was over but Ianto, he still had a chance. Looking up at him with pleading eyes, she squeezed his hand as hard as she could. "Please Ianto, get out of here before it's too late."

But he didn't dare move. Instead he moved as much debris from Lisa's body as he could and pulled her into his lap. There he sat cradling her in his arms as her breaths become shallow and uneven.

Her time was coming to an end, this Ianto knew, but he couldn't leave her by herself. She deserved better than to do die alone. "I'm sorry Lisa," Ianto chocked back a sob. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time."

"_Don't be," she smiled weakly, coughing again. More blood filled her mouth. "Glad you're okay…and glad you're…here…with me."_

"_Me too. I love you."_

"_You too," and with that Lisa closed her eyes for the final time. _

The tears fell heavily from his eyes as he held her close to his body. She was no longer shaking and her breathing was minuscule. It wouldn't be long now before Ianto was holding nothing but a lifeless body.

He sat there holding her, rocking her as he waited to be either captured or rescued and in the end Ianto didn't care which. His heart was shattered into so many pieces that only joining Lisa in death would have restored him.

Time passed slowly and soon Ianto was found, rescued by the soldiers from UNIT. Ianto didn't want to leave Lisa's body and he put up a fight to keep from being separated from her. In the end he had to be sedated before being shipped off to the hospital. He woke up to white walls and beeping machines. It was there he learned the entire truth of what happened. The void letting in the Daleks and Cybermen. People all over the world killed by the aliens. Torchwood One burning to the ground killing over eight hundred employees that were inside, including Lisa. He and twenty-two others employees were the only survivors.

A soft knock on the door broke him from his memories and he took a moment to regain himself before answering it. He wasn't surprised to find Marissa standing on the other side. "Hello."

She ignored his greeting and sidestepped into the flat. Looking around, she noticed it's emptiness except for a few boxes in the corner. Most likely her sister's things. "So you're really doing it then. When mum rung and told me she needed me to pick up Lisa's things I couldn't believe it. Last time I doubt her," she scoffed as she turned around to stare at Ianto.

"What?" he asked nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Leaving."

"Yes I am."

"But I thought you loved living here in London."

"I did," Ianto pointed out with his finger. "With Lisa but she's gone now and I can't see myself living here any longer."

Marissa refused to be deterred from the real reason why she was there. "So you're just going to run away," she couldn't help but lash out at him.

"If that's what you want to call it then yes, yes I am."

"You can't do that."

He listened to her rant off the reason why he couldn't leave until he couldn't take it anymore and found himself yelling. "I can and I will!" he replied. "You're angry and I understand that but I can't live here in this flat, in this city because I see Lisa everywhere I go. How am I supposed to move on if I can't stand being anywhere."

Marissa shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered. "It's just…I don't want you to leave."

"I know but I have to, for my own sanity."

Maybe it was the look in his eyes or the soft pleading in his voice but she could feel his pain. Ianto needed a fresh start and who was she to refuse to let him move on. "Will you at least call me sometimes," she asked softly, to afraid to look up at him. "I know you were my sister's boyfriend but I like to think that we were friends at least."

"We are and I promise to give you a call every now and again."

"I'll miss you."

"The feeling is mutual," Ianto smiled back. He opened his arms and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm glad you were there for her in the end."

"Me too." They stayed locked in their embrace for a few more moments before they finally pulled apart. Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. "Could you give these to the landlord when you're finished."

"Yeah."

Ianto gave Marissa a small smile as he placed the keys in her hands. Walking over to the door, he looked over his shoulder at the flat one last time before walking out. For the first time in a long time he was extremely lost.

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Do you like where I'm going with this. I know it's been done before but if you stick with me I hope you realize that this AU is different from the others. Hopefully you like it and if not, your loss. Well until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** Two updates in the span of two days. I can't believe it myself but I'm in the process of updating another story of mine so I thought why not. Want to say say thanks to all the love this fic has been receiving. It is awesome to now that my writing is still liked by the readers of Torchwood fanfiction. Anyways I'm going to let you keep reading. This is the chapter where our two boys finally meet. Yay! Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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Chapter Two

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The air was chilly around him, making Ianto pull his jean jacket tighter around his body as he walked through the dark park. Still, it wasn't enough to keep the chill out and ultimately Ianto simply shoved his hands into his pocket.

Ianto had been in Cardiff for a total of three months and was slowly re-familiarizing himself with the city. He grew up in Wales and two years of living in London didn't change the love he had for the city. That night he had treated himself to a movie after a hard day at work. Ianto didn't mind that he'd gone by himself since he hadn't really made any friends since his return to the city. Sure there were a few friendly gatherings at the local pub but that's as far as it got. He wasn't ready to become emotional attached to everyone after losing so many people-

'Not going to think about it.' he scolded himself as he continued his walk.

He continued his way through the park when he heard a loud beastly growl. Ianto ran towards the sound, following it until he came to the sight of a man on the ground with a huge beast on top of him biting into his neck. Quickly glancing around he spotted a large stick on the ground and picked it up. He swung hard at the beast he immediately identified as a weevil as it fell to the ground away from man.

As Ianto suspected the weevil turned its sight on him and came in for the attack. Ianto continued striking the alien, even earning a scratch to the face as he waited for the other man to rejoin the fight.

The man quickly regained his balanced and resumed his attack. Tackling the weevil, they both fell to the ground and the man pulled out a can from his pocket. He sprayed the weevil in the face before pulling a black bag from the inside of his coat. Placing the bag over its head, the man then took a needle and injected whatever it held inside the weevil. Ianto concluded that it was a mild sedative.

When the man stood up, Ianto suddenly realized who he the man actually was. 'Captain Jack Harkness,' Ianto stated as he threw the stick from his hand and stared back at the captain. He had read at Torchwood One all about the man who was the current leader of Torchwood Three in Cardiff. That file included the only record of a Captain Jack Harkness who died in 1941 and an old picture that was dated at the beginning of the 20th century. With the weevil unconscious there was a thickening silence in the air until Ianto finally broke it. "Thanks," Ianto breathed heavily as he leaned against the tree.

"No thank you," Jack replied back. "And you are?"

Ianto slowly made his way over to Jack and extended his hand. "Jones. Ianto Jones."

Jack shook it. "Nice to meet you Jones Ianto Jones. I'm Captain Jack Harkness."

_'I knew it.'_ Ianto thought but said, "Lucky escape."

"I had it under control."

"You think so." Ianto didn't say anything as Jack chuckled softly. "Looked pretty vicious." He couldn't help but reach out his hand again, this time to touch Jack's neck where he was bitten. "You are um- I was sure I saw blood…you were bleeding."

Jack moved away from Ianto's touch. He didn't know what it was but there was something off about the young man. "I've had worse from shaving."

"Um, looked like a weevil to me," he smirked. Ianto knew the comment would cause Jack to stir since he knew Jack wouldn't know him from Torchwood One.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," hissed Jack. The two men just stared at each other quietly for a few moments before Jack spoke again. "I'll take him from here. Thanks for the assistance," replied Jack as he picked up the weevil and threw it over his shoulder with a loud grunt.

"Anytime." Ianto could only watch Jack slowly walk away, the coat flowing behind him. Before he knew he called out one last comment to Jack. "By the way, love the coat."

Ianto rushed home as quickly as he could and closed the door to his flat. Pacing the floor he discovered three things. One, that you can fight off a weevil with just a stick. Two, there was a nasty gash on the side of his face from that said weevil and three, Jack Harkness extremely attractive.

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The next day, Ianto arrived early at Hot Java, a coffee bar he had been working at for the past three months. It was nothing like the archives at Torchwood One. Instead of spending most of his day alone with old and alien objects he dealt with loud and sometimes rude customers. It wasn't his ideal job but he liked doing something he was good at and making coffee was just that. He was busy making practice cup of coffee when the door opened and Jack walked through. Ianto would be a liar if he said that he hadn't thought about the Captain anymore after they're run it but Jack didn't need to know that. Keeping a deadpanned expression on his face, he spoke. "Sorry we're not open yet."

"I need to talk to you."

"What about Sir?"

Jack felt a chill run through his body at the sound of Ianto calling him sir but he tried his best not to show it. "Ianto Jones," he began as he walked over to the counter. "Born August 19th, 1983. Able student but not exceptional. One minor convention for shoplifting when you were fifteen. Number of temporary jobs, mainly a drifter until two years ago you joined the Torchwood institute in London. Junior Researcher, girlfriend Lisa Hallett."

"Deceased but you probably already knew that."

He had but he still felt some sadness. "Sorry."

"You checked me out," Ianto replied as he started the coffee machine again. He decided that if he was going to listen to Jack talk he might as well make the man a cup of coffee. Secretly he hoped his coffee would distract him from continuing the conversation.

Jack shrugged. "You knew what a weevil was. I thought I was gonna have to come deal with you." When Ianto handed him the cup he didn't even think twice about taking it. Taking a sip, he swallowed and a smiled spread across his face. "Wow, now that's what I call coffee," he grinned. "I've never had coffee like this, not even from Starbucks.

"That monstrosity has the audacity to call itself a coffee shop," scoffed Ianto as he took a sip from his own cup. "Please."

"I'll never look at coffee the same way again," Jack smiled. "Now where was I."

"You didn't know if you needed to deal with me," Ianto told him.

"Right, I thought I might have to but then I realized that we could use someone like you on the team. You know to sort out the archives and alien tech. It's really a mess down there, has been for ages."

"So you came to my job because you want to offer me a new one to join your organization. The same organization that ruined my life four months ago."

Jack's face went dark for a moment as he lowered the cup. "We have nothing to do with Torchwood London. I severed all links with them.

"Well when it burned two of your members scavenged the ruins, correct."

Jack nodded. "I didn't want the equipment getting into the wrong hands."

"And you're the right hands are you?" asked Ianto although his mind was already made. Torchwood wasn't a place that could be trusted.

"Torchwood Three is nothing like that," Jack replied as though he was reading Ianto's mind. "We're better."

"Look Sir-"

"It's Jack and how about we do a trial period of three months…three weeks…three days."

"I don't think I can."

"Can you at least think about it?"

"No, because there's no job for me and they'll never will be," Ianto whispered shaking his head. After all that had happened he couldn't go back to Torchwood, ever. "I know what Yvonne did and I saw what those aliens did at Canary Wharf. A lotta good people died that day. What am I supposed to do with those memories."

"I could help you."

"I don't think you could Sir."

Jack opened his mouth to retort but the beeping from his watch stopped him. Looking down he saw that he had to leave even though he didn't want to. "Same time tomorrow then."

Ianto stared at Jack confused. "What?"

"Didn't I tell you the coffee's great," smiled Jack widely as he stood up and turned around.

Just like the night before Ianto found himself captivated by the RAF Army coat and complemented once more. "I really like that coat."

If only he could have seen the smirk that covered the Captains face when he said this he might have said yes to the job.

* * *

Jack kept his promise. Over the next few days he arrived at the coffee bar to try and convince Ianto to join Torchwood. And the coffee was bloody fantastic as well. Each time Ianto would decline as he continued his morning preparations.

After the fifth day Jack decided that he couldn't do it anymore. Ianto had been insistent that Jack leave him and Jack found himself obliging. It wasn't even his idea to hire Ianto in the first place, it was Suzie's. She convinced him that after the confiscation of all the alien artifacts from Torchwood One they could someone with knowledge and skills to correctly archive it. Once she learned about Ianto's prior involvement she was certain he would be best for the job.

Now he was giving up. He couldn't take being turned down any more and decided that his team would just have to suck it up and deal with everything themselves. Jack was driving fast down the highway, delegating jobs to his team when he came to a screeching halt. In front of his car was Ianto Jones dressed in a immaculate suit.

Jack immediately jump out of his car to question the young man.

"Okay I know I've been getting on you case these past few days and for that I'm sorry but I seriously could use a guy like you on my team.

"No listen to me-"

"I know, you said no and I get it. I'm not going to bother you anymore. Of course I might drop by every one in a while for a fabulous cup of your coffee. That stuff is very addictive, almost like a drug.

Ianto tried to interrupt. "No but the thing is-"

"Look I said I'm not gonna bother you anymore so you can leave and move on with you're life. I won't stalk you anymore you have my word. Now I'm gonna get back in the truck and drive away." Jack didn't say anything more as he turned to walk away until-

"So you're not gonna help me catch this pterodactyl then."

Jack turned around and looked at Ianto, wondering if the man was serious. From the look in his face, he was. Having no other choice he gestured to the passenger side of the car. "Get in."

Ianto said nothing he simply followed.

Ianto led Jack to an abandoned warehouse where he managed to trap

the flying reptile. Thank god it was late at night and there was no one around.

Currently Ianto was watching Jack put a quick sedative together and scoffed in disbelief. "Okay that is the only special equipment that you've got."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah cause I keep dinosaur nets in the back of the SUV."

"Well Torchwood One would have."

Jack scoffed this time as the two of them made their way towards the entrance of the warehouse. Jack threw the door open and was instantly spotted by the pterodactyl who flew quickly towards them.

"Nope," Ianto replied, shaking his head as the two of them closed the door and leaned against it.

"How did you find it anyway?"

"Rift activity locater," admitted Ianto. It was the only thing he'd taken from Torchwood One and the first time it ever went off. Ianto thought it might have something to do with him driving while activity was occurring.

"Torchwood London."

"See quality kit."

"Oh that's quite excitable."

Ianto smiled. "Must be the aftershave."

"Never wear any."

"You smell like that naturally."

"51st century pheromones," smirked Jack as he glanced back at Ianto. "You people have no idea. Ready for another go."

"I'm game if you are," replied Ianto.

"Three…two…one."

While Jack opened the door, Ianto stood behind him and followed him in. As soon as the flying dinosaur spotted them it quickly dove towards them. The men jetted out of the way. Ianto let out a yell but Jack remained quiet and ordered Ianto to do the same.

Once the reptile was back on the ground, screeching still but no longer in flight, Jack began talking. "Oh, we're not gonna harm you," he whispered softly. "You can't stay here. Come back with me. I've got somewhere nice and big where you can fly around."

"So now you want the pterodactyl instead of me."

"We need a guard dog."

Ianto continued. "And if I did join what I be, the butler. I don't have much field training and the only thing I know how to do is organize. Maintenance, food and drink and perhaps dry cleaning. That coat of yours must take a beating."

"You wouldn't be a butler and I don't need anyone to do my laundry," hissed Jack as they continued their journey closer.

"Excuse me dried egg on your collar," Ianto pointed out.

Jack snapped. "It's was a busy week."

"What exactly is your plan?"

"I'm gonna be the decoy."

"And it will rip you to shreds," he stated in a sarcastic manner.

"Dinosaurs," scoffed Jack. "Had them for breakfast. Had to, they were the only source of food protein after the asteroid crash." He turned to Ianto and realized that the young man had no clue as to what Jack meant. And why would he. It's not like he went around telling people he was actually an ex time agent from the 51st century. "Long story." Moving the needle over, he placed it in Ianto's hand. "Here you go. One injection to the central nervous cortex. I'll keep it occupied. Move," he finished by slapping Ianto lightly on the chest.

Ianto didn't hesitate and pushed the needle back in Jack's hand. "No."

"What?"

"She knows me, I'll be a better decoy."

Jack immediately disagreed. "No way, way to dangerous."

"No I've got a secret weapon. Chocolate, preferably dark." Not waiting for Jack to disagree, Ianto quickly moved closer to the dinosaur. Whistling, he gained the creature's attention and soon it was facing him. "Look, it's your favorite yeah. Mmm."

Ianto then threw the chocolate bar on the floor in front of the winged reptile. "It's good for ya serotonin levels," replied Ianto as the pterodactyl scoffed down the chocolate. "If you got serotonin levels."

Jack stood behind the winged creature while Ianto tried to talk it down. The chocolate seemed to be doing the trick because it hadn't noticed Jack was there anymore or even behind him no more. Suddenly, without warning, it turned to face him.

'Spoke to soon' thought Jack, unsure of what to do.

"Whoa!"

A screeched filled the warehouse as the pterodactyl grabbed Jack and began flying him around the room.

"Ianto!"

Ianto could here Jack screaming his name and wanted to help but had no idea how. He was currently without weapons and there wasn't anything in the SUV that could help him. He knew that from the beginning. So all he could do was helplessly watch the scene play out in front of him.

Clinging on as tightly as he could, Jack was having the time of his life. True, he was scared at first. Screaming out for Ianto to provide some assistance but after awhile it began to feel liberating. Using one hand to hold on, he jabbed the needle into the creature's leg as it let out another loud scream. Once he was sure the sedative was entirely injected he let go and landed in Ianto's arms.

"Sorry," Jack immediately apologize as his body came crashing down on the other man's and the two of them fell to the ground.

Ianto didn't have time to respond when he noticed that the bird was falling fast and in their direction. Swiftly, he wrapped his arms around the Captain's body and rolled them out of the way before the beast had a chance to crush them.

The pterodactyl fell hard and both men let out the breaths they'd been holding which quickly turned into laughter. The laughter stopped, their breaths quickened, and for the first time Ianto realized that he was lying on top of Jack. So close that their noses were touching and if he leaned in their lips would be as well.

Ianto heart began beating rapidly, faster than it had moments prior and he knew it had something to do with Jack. Just being this close to him was sending heated chills throughout his body. Especially to all the wrong places. "I should go," he said shamefully, hoping that Jack couldn't feel the aching erection that he now harbored. With that he stood up and began walking away.

Jack jumped up as well, slightly disappointed but understanding nevertheless. From his research he knew that Ianto and Lisa had been a serious committed relationship. A few months after her death wasn't enough for Ianto to mourn. Still- "Hey," Jack called out to the retreating form. "Report for work first thing tomorrow," he replied in what sounded more like a plea than a request. He could only hope that Ianto would say yes. "Like the suit by the way."

He didn't turn around nor did he say anything at all. Ianto was sure that if he did Jack would immediately notice that something was wrong. Of course something was wrong, he was wrong. The love of his life had only been gone four months and he was already lusting after someone else. A man no less. 'How could I do that to Lisa' he asked as the guilt began to overload him, weighing down his entire being. Walking away as quickly as he could, he forced the oncoming tears away as he made his way home.

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Another chapter bites the dust. Hopefully this entire story will be up by the end of this month. It took years writing, I don't want to waste any more time posting it. And yes, most of the dialogue came from the episode Fragments but with a twist. If you love it let me know. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Yes another updadte. This weekend hasn't been filled much with anything so I decided to just post another chapter. Like I said this story is complete and I won't be delaying in the posting. Just want to send out thanks to those who have left reviews, made it a favorite, and put in on alert. You guys rock. Now here is chapter chapter. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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**Chapter Three**

* * *

He couldn't sleep. After catching the pterodactyl, which he named Myfanwy in his head, Ianto raced back to his flat as quickly as he could. Immediately upon entering the front door he shed his suit and jumped in the shower. He scrubbed hard, his fingernails scratching his skin as he tried to get all thoughts about Jack out of his head. It didn't help.

The water turned cold, to cold for Ianto to stand and he had no choice but to exit the shower and climb into bed. The hours crept by and sometime during the night sleep finally found him. However, it wasn't long.

By the time his alarm went off Ianto discovered he had only gotten two hours of sleep. With a grumble, he got out of bed and made his way to his closet. An hour later, dressed in a black suit, tie, and red silk dress shirt underneath his waistcoat, he set off on his first day of work.

* * *

Standing next to the fountain, he checked his watch and waited for Jack to arrive. He knew for a fact that he was being watched through the CCTV network.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find Jack standing behind him smiling. "Hello sir."

"You came," smiled Jack.

Ianto gave him a quick nod. "I assume that the job is still available."

"Yes it is. I assume you're interested."

"I am but as a trial period," replied Ianto. "I want to believe that you're different from Torchwood One."

"We are."

"If you say so," giving Jack a smile. "How's Myfanwy?"

"Who?" asked Jack.

"The pterodactyl."

This caught Jack by surprise. After capturing the extinct creature the previous night, he took her to the Hub and released it. For the entire night it flew around trying to get used to it's surroundings before finally settling down. "You named it."

"It's a she and of course I did. Since you are keeping her it's only appropriate that you give her name."

"How do you know it's a she?"

"I know everything," smiled Ianto. "Like the fact that her correct species name is pteranodon and she has a small skull crest. Males skull crest are bigger."

"Never would've considered you a dinosaur buff."

"I was, when I was eight," Ianto smiled. Glancing around he noticed that Jack wasn't making any effort to move. Ianto figured Jack was waiting on him. "Shall we go inside."

"Right."

Ianto followed Jack to what appeared to be a very unorganized and unkempt tourist shop. Even the maps were old and outdated. He made a mental note to fix it up as soon as he had the chance.

Jack waited until they were both inside before flipping the sign closed and locking the door. Pressing a button underneath the desk, a metal door opened as he gestured Ianto through it.

* * *

'The work area's small' was Ianto's first thought as he walked through the second door. It was dim, but that's to be expected when you're underground. The lights weren't bright, some of them flickering over head as Ianto looked around. It looked exactly like a secret lair of a super hero. 'Or villain' thought Ianto as he continued his journey.

In front of him was two desks, perpendicular to each other. Sitting in the middle was a young Japanese woman surrounded by many computer screens. Across from her was another young woman with curly hair examining something round and metal.

A clinkering sound from above alerted him that there was someone else there. Looking up, Ianto discovered a man this time in a white lab coat sneering down at him.

Jack walked beside him and clasped a firm hand down on his shoulder. "Listen up everyone I would like to introduce you all to Ianto Jones, Torchwood Three newest recruit," Jack said loudly with a smile. "Ianto I would like to introduce you to Toshiko Sato, technical genius."

"Please, call me Tosh," the woman replied in a soft voice, holding out her hand.

Ianto took it without hesitation and shook it softly. With one look he could tell that she was the shy reserved type. The two of them would get along fine. "Tosh it is then," he replied with a smile and watched a blush rose in her cheeks. "Japanese."

"Yes."

_"Hajimemashite,"_ he said with a small bow.

Her eyes widen as did her smile. _"Anata ga nihongo o hanasu."_

Ianto blushed and gave Tosh a nod. _"Sukoshi,"_ he replied shyly.

"It's good," she smiled back.

"A man of many talents," beamed Jack proudly as he gave Ianto another pat on the back and continued the introductions. "Next we have our weapons specialist and my second in command Suzie Costello."

Suzie waved but made no effort to move. "Is it true you were at Canary Wharf the day of the invasion?"

Ianto was surprised by her question but he answered it honestly. "Yes, it's true," he answered. She gave him a soft smile and returned to whatever she was working on.

"And last but not least Owen Harper-"

"Doctor!" yelled Owen from his lab.

"Doctor Owen Harper, our medic and alien mastermind."

Owen didn't say anything as he continued to sneer. Ianto didn't care either way.

"Ianto is here to sort out the mess we like to call our archives and help research all the alien things that the rift leaves lying around. He's here to help us but he is not here to be our lackey so don't assume otherwise."

By this time Owen had shed his lab coat and made his way downstairs to them. "I don't see why we need another person Jack," scowled Owen as he glared at Ianto. "It's been just fine with the four of us."

"I know Owen but our archives are a mess and we someone to improve them. Make them easier for us to access and use."

"Yeah but why him?"

"He has experience."

"He was a paper pusher."

"Excuse me, if you all are going to talk about me like I'm not in the room can you show me where you keep the coffee machine. I'd at least like to be caffeinated while being criticized." Ianto replied sarcastically as he pulled a bag out of his pocket. "I brought my special beans."

"There's a small kitchenette that way," Jack pointed out before turning his attention back to Owen. "Look Owen, I'm the boss and as the boss I say he stays."

Owen continued to whine. "Come on Jack seriously. He came to work dressed in a suit."

"I think he looks good in it."

"Now that's completely biased because you think everyone looks good."

Jack shook his head. "Not everyone but he does."

"I still think you're making a mistake Jack. You saw what those idiots did at Torchwood One. Who's to say he wasn't in on it."

"He wasn't."

"Yeah but how do you know?"

"Owen-"

"Coffee anyone."

Ianto had returned with a tray carrying four mugs of hot steaming coffee. Jack immediately grabbed a mug and took a sip. Upon hearing his sigh, Tosh and Suzie soon followed.

"Owen," asked Ianto as he pushed the tray closer to Owen.

Owen scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "No thanks Tea-boy."

"Are you sure Owen? He makes a mean cup of coffee."

"Coffee's coffee Jack. It all taste the same no matter who makes it."

Tosh took a relative slow sip before staring up at Owen wide-eyed. "I wouldn't be sure about that," she grinned, taking another small sip.

Suzie took a sip and grinned as well. "This is amazing."

Jack smiled widely, taking another sip. "I told you."

"You guys are crazy," Owen muttered as he grabbed the last mug. "It's just coffee." Rolling his eyes, he took a small sip before looking at his mug and then back at Ianto. "How did you make this?" he asked, eyes narrow and suspicious.

"With the coffee machine," replied Ianto with a quick nod, pointing to the kitchen area.

He took another sip, a longer one this time, his expression never changing. "Seriously. With that piece of junk."

Ianto did nothing but smile. "Yep. It wasn't hard to use and like I said, special beans."

"Are you willing to make this everyday?"

"I am. As long as no one takes me for granted or acts like a prat towards me I'm happy to make coffee."

The two men stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak when Owen finally broke the silence. "Well what the hell are you waiting for Jack, show him around," Owen smirked as he took another sip in front of them before turning around and making his back to his work station.

Jack laughed and shook his head. Turning to face out Ianto he held out his hand which Ianto took instantly. "Nothing else to say but welcome to Torchwood Three Ianto Jones."

* * *

Translations given to me by Google Translator. If they're wrong sorry :-(

Hajimemashite- Nice to meet you

Anata ga nihongo o hanasu- You speak Japanese

Sukoshi- A little

* * *

Yay Ianto meets the team. I hope you guys like where I'm going with this. In all honesty I'm really nervous about writing Suzie simple because she was only in two episodes and I don't really know how deep her personality goes. So just a warning for future chapters she might seem OOC but it's okay. I totally wanted her that way, seriously I did. If you love it don't be afraid to tell me. My ego could use a boost. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:** It's update time. I would have posted this chapter sooner but elements outside of my control forced me to delay it. I know it sucks but it's here now so that should make you happy. Just want to say thanks to all the reviews I've gotten. It's really nice to know that after two years of working on this fic that it's actually enjoyable. You guys are so stellar you should be given a medal, or free internet for life, which ever makes you happier. Anyways I won't bore you with any more details of my life so I'm going to let you read. Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"You lied."

The trip to the archives was long and quiet. Jack leading him down through a series of tunnels which to Ianto seemed a bit like a tedious maze. Finally they arrived to a room that made Ianto forget to breath.

Boxes were everywhere on the floor filled with all sorts of papers and artifacts. File cabinet drawers were open, paper spilling out of them. Multiple folders, some dating back to 1956, were sprawled out on the desk covered in thick mounds of dust.

"I can't believe it, you lied."

Jack eyes shifted around the room as he shrugged his shoulders. "Okay I'll bite. What did I lie about?"

"You said that your archives were a mess."

"They are."

"This is not a mess. This is bigger than a mess," hissed Ianto as slowly began making his way through. Careful not to hit anything or knock anything over. "This is a catastrophic monstrosity, wrapped in a earth shattering disaster, and covered in tiny drops of hell."

"Are you done?" quipped Jack as he followed Ianto.

"Not even remotely."

"Look, I know this is a big…huge job," he quickly changed from the look on Ianto's face. "But I have faith that if anyone can get this up and running it's you."

"You must have a lotta faith."

"In you I do. So can you do it."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his head. "I can do it," sighed Ianto again, his eyes glancing around the room. "But I'm most definitely gonna need a raise."

"Already," gaped Jack. "It's only your first day."

It was Ianto's turn to gape. "Have you seen this place?" asked Ianto hysterically. "To even close to my standard of perfection I'm going to need to be here by seven every morning and stay until ten each night for at least the first four months. And even then it wouldn't be half way decent."

"Fine," Jack conceded. The job was big, perhaps to big for one person but he needed it done soon. Besides, it's not as if Ianto wouldn't deserve the money. Anyone who would be working down there deserved all the money they got. "We can go over your pay packet in my office right now if you like."

"We should also go over my responsibilities and duties of my job. I have already accepted that making coffee would be one of them."

"You know you don't have to do that don't you."

"I don't do anything I don't want to do Jack. Remember that," Ianto smiled as he brushed a piece of dust off his shoulder. Maybe he shouldn't have worn his good suit if he was going to be working in a place like this. It was something to think about. "Now before we discuss my packet I want to see Myfanwy. I have a bar of chocolate for her."

Jack couldn't contain his chuckle as Ianto pulled out a bar of chocolate. "Of course. Right this way."

* * *

Leaving the archives, the pair stepped onto the lift again and this time going up rose to the very top. Ianto smiled when he saw this dinosaur sitting on it's legs and flapping it's wings at his presence. Ianto wasted no time walking over to her and throwing her a piece of chocolate.

Myfanwy gobbled the candy as quickly as she could and waited patiently for more. Ianto obliged, throwing her another piece but this time from a closer distance. A few more pieces were thrown until Ianto was close enough to touch her. Reaching out his hand, he gently slid it across her beak and wanted for her to respond. She stared at him confused for a moment, her head bobbing back and forth, until finally, she let out a loud cry and scooted forward.

Jack watched in amazement as Myfanwy let Ianto gently caress her beak and let out sounds of happiness. Since he brought her in last night no one had gotten close enough to touch her. She wouldn't let them, choosing instead to fly to the top of the Hub and ignore everyone else. "She likes you."

Ianto shrugged. "Of course she does. I saved her life after all."

"Really," scoffed Jack. "All by yourself."

He was unable to suppress the grin. "Well, you helped some."

Jack playfully rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks," he replied as Ianto walked back over to him. "Are you ready to discuss what you'll be doing here at Torchwood Three."

Ianto gave Jack a quick nod as they made their way to the lift. "Now seems a good a time as any," he agreed. "Afterwards though I would like to go to the market and by some fish and raw steaks for Myfanwy. She is a carnivore after all and needs to eat properly. Also I would like to order some hay or straw so she can build a proper nest. One that she is comfortable in."

"You must really like her."

"She's out of her time and all alone. She needs a friend now more than ever," he stated, watching her as the lift went down. Suddenly his attention turned to Jack and he spoke. "Wouldn't you agree Jack."

The comment caught him off guard and gave him a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was as if there was more to the statement then Ianto was telling him. Jack knew for a fact that there was a file on him at Torchwood One but it was one that he wrote himself so they wouldn't find out the real truth. But, there was always a possibility that someone smart and capable could do a thorough search and find out the truth about him and maybe did. If that was the case then exactly how much did the young archivist know about him. "Why do you say that?"

Ianto shrugged his shoulders and smiled slightly. "Just trying to make conversation, that's all."

"Oh, well I guess I could give you one of the Torchwood charge cards for the purchases if that's alright with you."

"That would be excellent. One more thing."

"Yes."

"I've decided to fix up the tourist office."

"Why?"

"Because sir it's just sitting there closed all the time. People will start to notice people coming in but never leaving. At least if it's open it won't look so suspicious."

"That's a really good idea."

"Of course it is," replied Ianto smugly as they entered Jack's office.

Over the next twenty minutes Jack discussed Ianto duties for Torchwood as well as he expected pay. To say Ianto was pleased with the figure would be more than an understatement. His eyes widen as far as they could as he stared at the piece of paper in his hands.

"Wow."

"What, not what you were expecting?"

Ianto struggled to find the words to say as he placed the paper down on Jack's desk and stared at him. "It's just…well it's more than I received from Torchwood One."

"That's because Torchwood London housed more than eight hundred employees. There are only five of us here so there's more money to go around."

"That makes sense but it's still…wow."

Jack chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "I just wanted to say thank-you for doing this. You could have walked away but you didn't and that says a lot about your character."

"I don't know why I'm even here Jack but I need to find meaning again. Hopefully I'll find it."

"I hope you do as well."

"Well now that that's settled I need to go to the grocer and get those items we talked about."

Jack gave Ianto a quick head nod and reached into his drawer to pull out the Torchwood charge card. "Okay," he smiled, handing Ianto the card.

Ianto slipped the card in his pocket and stood up to leave.

"Hey Ianto."

"Yes," replied Ianto, turning around.

"Before you go would you mind. I mean would you please-"

"Yes I will make some more coffee before I leave sir."

"It's Jack and thank-you."

Ianto mumbled a quick 'you're welcome' before heading out of the office. Five minutes later, after everyone had their refills Ianto let the Hub entirely to do his shopping.

* * *

An hour later he returned, bags in hand and made his way to the small kitchenette area. Putting his items away, he walked to the center of the Hub to find everyone gone except for Tosh.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

Tosh barely looked up from her computer screen as she answered. "Rift spike in quadrant four so Owen, Jack, and Suzie went to go take care of it. It wasn't big so I decided to stay behind and finish running a computer program I'm working on."

Ianto's eyes scanned the computer to see a flash of numbers and letters scrolling down the screen. It was to complicated for even him to understand. "I guess I should head down to the archives and get started. Jack was right, they are a mess."

"You can stay if you want," Tosh replied before Ianto had a chance to walk away. Truth be told she was lonely without the rest of her teammates and desperately wanted some company. She also wanted to get to know Ianto on a more personal level and not just from the things she read in his file.

"I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"It would be no bother at all," she stated. "The program is basically running itself and I thought it would be nice if we got to know each other better."

"That sounds lovely," smiled Ianto brightly at Tosh's friendliness. No one, other than Jack, said very little to him since he started. "How about I make us a few cups of tea and bring some vanilla biscuits that I brought to go along with it."

"Okay."

"So tell me about Jack?"

Tosh picked up another biscuit from the tray and bit into it, all while giving Ianto a confused look. "What do you want to know about him?"

"I don't know something," shrugged Ianto. "He seems like a man of many mysteries."

Tosh giggled. "Well you're right about that. I'm been working with him for three years and I still don't know much about him."

"What about the others? How long have they worked here?"

"Suzie's been here for four and Owen for two."

"And do they know much about Jack?" asked Ianto curiously, taking a bite of his biscuit and chewing slowly.

"If they do they haven't told me," answered Tosh, shaking her head. "Jack is a very private man who doesn't like to answer many questions; if any at all."

"So you can't tell me anything like where he's from or how long has he lived in Cardiff."

"No there's nothing and I've looked. I can tell you though that Jack is a very complicated man, a good boss, and will shag anything that moves," she grinned.

A smirk spread across Ianto's face. "Really anything."

"You better be careful. I've seen the way he looks at you."

"I'm not interested-"

"In men."

"In anyone at the moment," Ianto quickly and honestly corrected her. Jack was gorgeous in every way but the thought of being with anyone who wasn't Lisa was too much for him. "It's only been a few months since my girlfriend Lisa died. Four and a half months actually."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean-"

Reaching out, he gently caressed Tosh's hand. "It's alright," replied Ianto, reassuring her. "I'm finally getting to a point where I can talk about her and not feel like my insides are tearing apart."

"Tell me about her."

* * *

The day ended without any more alien threats or rift activity so Jack gave the team permission to leave. Owen and Suzie were out the door only moments later after Jack's command. Tosh stayed behind for a few minutes before leaving herself. Finally only Jack and Ianto remained.

Jack was sitting in his office going over paperwork when Ianto walked through the door carrying a cup of coffee. "Ianto my savior in the time of need."

Ianto gave Jack the cup and sat down on the edge of Jack's desk. "Saw the mountain of paperwork on your desk and figured you could use this," Ianto smiled. "Glad to see I was right."

Jack smiled taking a sip of the hot liquid. "Thank you for this." He was quiet for a while, contently drinking his coffee before speaking again. "So, you and Tosh seem to be getting pretty close. I saw you two talking when we got back."

"She's very nice, easy to talk to. She asked about Lisa."

"Did she now?"

"She did and it was nice, to talk about her. Remember her and what she meant to me."

"Ianto if you ever want to talk to me…about anything I'm here. Remember that."

"I will sir," nodded Ianto, standing up. "I guess I should get going now. Busy day tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow morning bright and early." He watched Ianto leave and listened for the sound of the door closing leaving him alone. Picking up his cup, he drank his coffee slowly until there was none left before returning back to his work.

* * *

Another chapter bites the dust. I know, no Janto yet but trust me I'm getting there. I really want the buildup to realistic enough so you guys won't gag when you read the fluff because there will be fluff. Hope you guys like this chapter and if you did don't be afraid to tell me. Me likey when you send me reviews. So until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary:** Bringing you guys another update. Before you start reading I just want to say thanks to everyone who has given me a review and are currently following it. You guys rock steady. Not really much to say so I'm going to let you read. Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Five  
**

* * *

Over the next month the team flowed steady with their new addition. Ianto was proving to be a vital member to the team. Not were his coffee skills excellent but so was his knowledge on a vast number of subjects. Also his memory and attention to detail helped the team be successful on a few missions already.

"Oi Tea-boy, more coffee!" yelled Owen from the medical bay to Ianto who was standing next to Tosh's desk.

Ianto rolled his eyes at Owen's rudeness and sighed. "Sorry Owen, did you suddenly forget your manners."

"More coffee _please_."

"That's better." Ianto smiled and made his way to the kitchenette.

"Don't you get upset that he calls you that."

Ianto turned around to see Suzie standing next to him. Out of everyone on the team she was the only person he hadn't figured out. Suzie was quiet but loud when spoken too. She did her job efficiently and without complaint. Witty, almost sarcastic to an extent when she was joking around, especially when talking to Owen. He knew how she took her coffee and tea, her favorite take-away food, and even the fact that her and Owen had a small tryst when he first started working for Torchwood. Other than that he didn't know much more.

"Not anymore," he frowned, answering her question and shaking his head. "Now I just like to think of it as a cute little nickname he has for me."

"Some nickname," smirked Suzie as she crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. "Owen's just being a snarky bastard this morning."

"And that's different from any other morning how," replied Ianto deadpanned.

She chuckled. "You're right about that. So Ianto how are things coming along with the archives."

"It's coming," Ianto sighed as he turned on the machine. "I'm almost finished scanning all artifacts that fell from the rift."

"Well that's good."

"From the last century," he finished.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my."

"Oh my indeed," chuckled Ianto as he paused his coffee machine and began preparing the cups. "No worries though," he shrugged. "I'll be done with the scanning soon enough and then I'll start archiving. When I'm done you won't be able to recognize the archives."

Suzie smiled. "That's great. It's absolute murder down there, so easy to get lost if you're not careful. I know I almost did when I went down there last."

"Was there something in particular you needed."

"It's just a metal glove that came through the rift a few months ago," she said smiling, eyes burning with intensity. "We don't know what it does but Jack gave me permission to work with it."

"So, have you found anything?"

She shook her head and took the cup Ianto handed her. "I have a few theories but I'm not telling Jack anything until I'm sure."

Ianto just smiled. "Well I hope you find the answers you're looking for."

"Don't worry I will."

"Do you have to work tonight?" he asked.

Suzie shook her head again. "No," she replied. "I have every Wednesday off. I have for two years now."

"Guess it's just Jack then huh."

"I guess so."

"Well I should deliver these before they get cold," Ianto stated as he placed the mugs on the tray. Suzie smiled politely and moved so Ianto could move past her.

* * *

He delivered a cup of coffee to each Tosh and Owen before making his way to Jack's office. Once again he found Jack sitting at his desk doing paperwork.

"Coffee sir."

Jack threw his pen and grinned broadly. "Just what I needed," he said, swiping the mug from the tray. "Thanks Ianto."

"You're welcome sir," smiled Ianto back. He quietly watched Jack take a sip of his coffee and waited until the other man put the cup down before speaking. "Jack how much do you know about the glove Suzie's using."

Jack looked up. "She told you about that huh."

"Yeah," nodded Ianto as he placed the tray on Jack's desk. "Seemed pretty excited by the prospect of finding out what it does."

"We need to know, especially if it's a threat to the human race," Jack responded.

Ianto looked down at the floor and avoided Jack's eyes. "Right," he mumbled quietly.

He immediately noticed the look on Ianto's face and his sudden quietness. "Ianto what's wrong," he asked concerned.

"It's nothing."

"Please Yan talk to me."

Ianto looked back up at Jack, a smile on his face. "You called me Yan."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just…no one's called me that since I was a kid."

"So it's not a problem," asked Jack again.

The smile didn't leave his face. "No, I kinda like it," admitted Ianto.

Jack smiled back. "Good, now tell me what's wrong?"

Ianto sighed deeply and sat down on the edge of the desk. "It's nothing really," he replied slowly. "I just…I saw the way Suzie looked when she talked about experimenting with the glove and it scared me a little."

"What…why?"

"Because, Yvonne had that same look on her face when she told us about her experiments with the hole in space and time. You remembered how that turned out."

Jack didn't know hat to say at first but finally found the words. "Suzie's always been a little eccentric when it comes to the alien tech," he stated. "But she just loves the job. I'm not worried about her."

"Well I guess if you're fine with it then I should be too. After all you are the boss."

"Yeah. Ianto I know you're still weary about Torchwood with everything that's happened but I can assure you, that will never happen again."

"Okay."

Reaching over, Jack patted Ianto on the leg and gave him another smile. Ianto smiled back, placing his hand on top of Jack's as the two of them sat quietly.

* * *

Ianto's comments about Suzie and the glove stayed on Jack's mind all day. He couldn't concentrate on finishing his paperwork or anything else for that matter the more he thought about his second in command and the piece of alien artifact. From the moment the glove fell through the rift Suzie made it her mission to learn everything about it. Jack didn't think much about it. It wasn't odd for the members of his team to have a project to work on during slow days. Owen had his weevil research and Tosh usually spent her time developing new and improved computer programs. For Suzie to have something like that was unlikely but Jack didn't want to discourage her. Still-

"Hey Suzie could I see you in my office before you leave for the night," he yelled out to her ten minutes before she was scheduled to leave. Everyone else had called it a night, except for Ianto who was busy down in the archives working.

Suzie wasted no time coming down to his office. "You need something Jack," she asked.

He pointed down to the chair in front of her desk and waited for her to sit down before doing so himself. "I just wanted to ask you how your research for the glove is coming along."

"Why?"

"Curious that's all. Have you figured out what it does?"

"Well," she began nervously, playing with her fingers. "I wanted to tell you after I had more time to research but now is a good of time as any. The glove Jack…it brings things back to life."

He sat straight up and glared at her. "What, how do you know?"

Suzie sat up as well and leaned forward. "I was at my desk about a month ago working on the glove and there was this fly buzzing around and aggravating the shit out of me. So I killed it. But when I went to sweep it away, coincidentally with my gloved hand the fly came started moving again. Before I realized it the thing was flying. It only lived for a few seconds before it died again but…Jack," she stopped to take a breath before beginning again. The same level of excitement in her voice. "It was alive. For a mere few seconds it was alive again after death. Once I saw that I knew I had to keep working with it. I started small with other insects then I moved to larger creatures. Cats and dogs that had been put to sleep by the pound, each time bringing them back for longer periods of time."

"You've been taking the glove home."

"It was for my research. I couldn't do it here with you hanging about all the time. Taking it home, practicing was the only way to learn how to control the power of the glove and I have. For the small animals I can bring them back for almost a minute before they die again. I also learned that the fresher the death the longer I could connect with them."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack asked concerned.

"I didn't want you to tell me to stop," she admitted. "The things I'm learning from the glove could help so many people Jack and I couldn't let you take that from me."

"So now that you know what the glove does what's you're next course of action."

"I want to practice using the glove on humans."

"Suzie I don't think-"

"Think about Jack," she said full of enthusiasm, standing up. "People who are killed by vicious creatures, aliens that fall through the rift, could give us details and descriptions of the thing that killed them. Having that information beforehand could save many lives and serve the greater good."

"It would Suzie but these are people we're talking about."

"But they're already dead Jack," she scoffed lightly. "What harm would we actually be doing to a corpse. I don't want to desecrate them I just want to understand and maybe save lives along the way. Isn't that why we're here Jack, to save people."

His mind reeled for the right answer but repeatedly came up blank. He wasn't sure what to say. Jack could take the glove away from Suzie and lock it away but he wasn't sure on it's true potential. True, teetering the line of life and death was rather tricky and should seldom be crossed but it helped saved people from the unknown. As with any artifact there were pros and cons to be weighed but for now he decided to trust Suzie. She was one of his best agents and there was no one else he trusted more than her. It still wouldn't, however, keep him from keeping a better eye on her just to make sure she wasn't getting in over her head.

"Alright, fine," he sighed, finally conceded. "I'll let you practice on a few of the bodies we have in the morgue but I want a copy of everything you do. What, when, where, who, how long, everything you have each week and the glove stays here," Jack stressed when a smile crept wide across Suzie's face. "And if I feel or find that the glove is becoming to much for you to handle I will pull you off this project and lock the glove away forever. Understood."

"Yes sir," Suzie nodded excitedly, rubbing her hands together. "You have my word Jack that I will be careful. I won't let you down."

Jack just smiled. "Good, now don't you have plans tonight."

"I do," replied Suzie as she stood up. "Goodnight and thank you Jack." She left the office with a satisfied smile on her face.

* * *

Chapter Five-Done. Hope you guys liked how I introduce Suzie and the glove. I'm tried my best to follow all the information I got from the two episodes that were featured on the show. If you like what I wrote, fantastic, and if not you can go suck it. J/K (not really). Anyways I'm tired so I'm going to go. Hopefully I'll post again for this week is out and if not the weekend it shall be. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary:** I know, it has been a whole week since I last updated. I really wanted to do it over the weekend but I just didn't feel like doing much of anything. Seriously all I wanted to do was sleep and that's basically all I did. It was just one of those weekends. Not a very good excuse but I promise to make it up to you loyal readers who like to leave me wonderful reviews. I love you guys so much and you brighten my day immensely. Since you're probably dying to read I'm not going to hold you up any longer please read. Oh and did I mention this chapter is filled with Janto goodness. Yup, finally brought our two boys together. Yay! Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

An hour later Jack was putting the finishing touches on his paperwork when he heard a soft knock on the door. "Ianto you're leaving early," he replied when the door opened and Ianto appeared.

Ianto nodded. "Well I finished all the artifacts from last century so I decided the rest could wait until morning. That is okay isn't."

Jack smiled and nodded his head. "Of course it is. You work too hard here and you deserve a break just like everyone else."

"Okay, well goodnight then." He closed the door behind him and prepared to leave for the night when suddenly a thought popped into his head. Turning around, he walked back to Jack's office and opened the door. This time without knocking first. "Hey Jack."

Jack turned around, away from the filing cabinet to see Ianto once again. "Yeah."

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Ianto asked nervously.

"Just monitoring the rift," answered Jack, shaking his head. "Why?"

"I was just wondering…if you weren't busy…would you like to grab a bite to eat. With me of course."

He smiled surprised. "Really?"

Ianto blushed and turned his head away slightly. "Um yes," he smiled nervously. "I mean I never see you eat anything other than take-away and I think you should eat a proper meal."

"Did you have a particular place in mind?"

"Angelo's," replied Ianto less nervously. "It's a little quaint Italian restaurant that I discovered my first night in Cardiff. They have the best lasagna I ever tasted and don't get me started on the bread-sticks. Made from scratch."

Jack stood there quiet for a few moments before smiling again. "Well," he began. "It has been awhile since I had a nice meal that didn't require a box or a delivery person." Finally he simply nodded his head enthusiastically. "Sure why not. Let me just get my coat and we can go."

* * *

Two hours later after a lovely dinner that left them both full and satisfied, Jack and Ianto were taking a walk through a nearby park.

"Thanks for offering to bring me here tonight," Jack replied as he looked over at Ianto smiling. "Sometimes I forget how much I hate being cooped up in the Hub all the time."

"You're welcome but if you hate being there all the time why do you live there?" asked Ianto

Jack shrugged. "Because it's convenient. Since the rift needs monitoring at all hours of the day I volunteer to do it since I don't need much sleep to function properly."

"But don't you ever go out, do something for yourself."

"Like what," Jack asked curiously.

This time it was Ianto's turn to shrug. "I don't know," he replied. "Go out to dinner like we just did or a movie. You do like movies don't you."

"Yeah I like movies just not most movies that are made in this time era."

"What about sex. When do you leave to have that?"

He left out a surprised chuckle. "Since when did this become a game of twenty questions."

Ianto blushed slightly. "It's not," he smiled. "It's just…at Torchwood One you had the reputation of someone who would flirt and shag anybody. I remember a few women and men calling you The Insatiable Captain Jack Harkness. Are you telling me that the rumors aren't true?" smirked Ianto.

"They are to an extent. The fact is that I like…no I love sex and I've had more one night stands, threesomes, even orgies than I can count," Jack replied, a small amount of pride in his voice. "But I don't need sex to survive."

"You've had orgies," asked Ianto shocked. He suspected that Jack was open when it came to sex but not like this. "As in more than one."

Jack smiled broadly. "What can I say except when in Rome. Literally when in Rome."

Ianto could only shake his head in response. "I think that's more information about you than I wanted to know. I myself have only ever had six sexual partners."

"So you only shagged six women in your entire life."

"That's a proper number Jack since I'm only twenty-three and I never said they were all women."

This caught Jack off guard. "Oh I didn't know-"

Ianto simply smiled. "Most people don't because I don't tell them," smirked Ianto coyly. "I don't like labels."

Jack chuckled. "This coming from the man who orders his files in alphabetical and chronological order."

"Labels on people," replied Ianto, rolling his eyes. "I don't like sexuality labels on people Jack. I believe that people should be able to love and sleep with whoever they want. Who are we to dictate how others should live their lives."

"I wish more people from this time thought like that instead of condemning everyone to purgatory for expressing themselves."

"I know." They walked side by side for a few minutes, neither of them talking at all except glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes. It was as if both of them wanted to say something with no clue how. Finally Ianto took it upon himself to break the silence. "Hey Jack."

"Yeah," Jack turned to look at him.

"Would you like to come back to my place?" the words stumbling out of Ianto's mouth.

Jack looked at Ianto and gasped, the very question on the tip of his tongue. "Seriously," he asked.

Ianto nodded his head. "Yeah. You see the thing is Jack I like you."

"Really."

"Really. I have since the moment we met."

Jack smiled brightly. "I like you too Ianto and as much as I would love to go back to your place I don't think it's a good idea."

Now Ianto was confused. "Why?"

"I don't want to take advantage of you," replied Jack sincerely. "It's only been six months since Canary Wharf and the death of Lisa. I'm not sure if you're ready to move on just yet and I would hate to jeopardize are working relationship if things don't work out between us. You're worth more than that to me."

The words took Ianto's breath away as he looked into Jack's eyes. He knew, just by looking into his eyes, that the older man meant everything he said. It showed him that he meant more to Jack than he originally thought. "You really mean that Jack."

"I do."

"I'm sorry."

Jack just smiled. "Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then I guess I don't have to apologize for this either," and with that Ianto grabbed Jack around the neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

It took Jack a few moments to respond as his mind tried to register what was happening. Finally it did and before he could stop himself he was shoving his tongue inside Ianto's mouth.

"Ianto-"

"Jack I'm not emotionally unstable. I know what I want and from what I presume isn't your gun I know you want it too."

"I was just going to say the Hub is so much closer than your place," smirked Jack.

"Oh," Ianto blushed embarrassed. That quickly stopped being the case when Jack started placing soft sensual kisses on the side of his neck. "Well let's go then."

* * *

He woke up, naked underneath the sheets of Jack's small bed. Ianto looked over and smiled at Jack's body sleeping peacefully next to him. Closing his eyes, his thoughts and feelings from the entire evening overwhelmed his mind. He couldn't believe that what started out as a simple and innocent dinner request turned into something so wonderfully passionate and frightening at the same time. Being with Jack was something he wanted more than anything. Even when he tried to tell himself otherwise he knew it was a lie. Now, it not only appeared that he didn't have to deny himself any longer but neither did Jack. It gave Ianto great pleasure knowing that Jack wanted the exact same thing he did.

But even after what had transpired between the two of them Ianto had no idea where it left them. Jack was, after all his boss, and in any other work environment a personal relationship would be deeply frowned upon. Not to mention the fact that Jack didn't seem as though he was the commitment type. From the stories he heard from both Torchwood One and Three, the Captain was only into beautiful bodies and one night stands. Ianto had no idea how he would fit into that mold.

Suddenly overwhelmed with the need to think, Ianto carefully and quietly got out of the bed. Walking to the other side of the room, he slipped his clothes back on and walked back over to the bed. Unsure if he should tell Jack he was leaving he decided to simply kiss the older man gently on the forehead before slipping out.

* * *

"Good morning sir. Coffee."

Jack looked up to see Ianto standing in the doorway of his office with a hot steaming cup of coffee and a smile on his face. It was close to eight in the morning and Jack hadn't seen the man face to face since the previous night. He had, however, watched him through the CCTV cameras. "You're here early."

"I really wanted to get here and finish what I was working on last night before I left," Ianto replied as he passed the mug to Jack.

Taking a sip, Jack leaned back in his chair. "You know, you didn't have to leave last night," he stated after a few more sips of coffee.

"I know that."

"Then why did you?"

Ianto chuckled softly. "You don't waste any time do you. Honestly."

"That's always the best policy."

"I didn't want things to be awkward between us."

It was Jack's turn to laugh. "Like it's not already."

"It doesn't have to be," sighed Ianto.

"And by that you're saying is last night was a one time thing and it should never happen again."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then please, elaborate."

"Look Jack last night was fun. It was something I really needed and I am glad that it was with you," explained Ianto.

"But-"

Ianto continued. "But I don't want you to feel as though a committed relationship between us is required if we choose to have a repeat of last night."

Jack gave Ianto a nod of understanding as well as a grin. "So what you're really saying is that you wouldn't mind doing it again just so long there's no strings attached."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"And you don't want more," asked Jack.

"At this point in time I don't need more."

"That's good to know but Ianto-" Jack never got a chance to finish what he was about to say as Tosh's voice spoke through his ear-piece.

"_Jack I'm picking up a reading on Westport," _she stated panicky.

"Big."

"_Really big," _confirmed Tosh.

"Well then gather the troops and I'll meet you guys in the SUV. Ianto-"

"I have a lot of work to do in the archives so if you don't mind I'd rather skip the chauffeur part of my job today and finish that."

"That's fine," replied Jack. "But I just wanted to let you know that this conversation isn't over."

Ianto wasn't sure to respond to Jack but managed to stutter a response out anyway. "Okay."

Jack simply smiled.

He helped Jack into his greatcoat and watched the man leave his office along with the rest of the team. After hearing the cog door close, Ianto let out a sigh and grabbed the mug from the desk. Walking around, he grabbed everyone else's mugs and over to the kitchenette to place the dirty dishes into the sink. Ianto let out another sigh as he glanced down at his watch to see the time. "Feeding time," he whispered to himself as he began gathering food for all the alien detainees and Myfanwy.

* * *

Once he had everything he made his way to the cells when suddenly a popping noise echoed throughout the hub and the lights flickered above him. Nervously, he continued his journey to the cells as the lights continued to flicker. The closer he got to the cells the louder the weevils growls could be heard. He could also hear a few of them banging on the walls and doors as if they were either trying to escape or warning him.

"Oh no."

One of the cell doors were open and appeared to be empty. It also appeared that the weevil that inhabited the cell was also missing. Dropping the tray, he rushed back to the main level just in time for the lights to go out completely.

Ianto didn't know what to do with a loose weevil on the premises but he knew he didn't to protect himself. The weevil that had escaped wasn't as tame as some of the weevils Owen was working with and he didn't want to take any chances. He ran to Suzie's desk, knowing the woman would have the supplies he needed to subdue the weevil. Opening her drawer he found what he was looking for. A can of weevil spray and a needle already prepped with a heavy sedative. He also grabbed a small caliber pistol and a magazine just in case he had no choice but to take down the weevil permanently. His body stiffened as the lights flickered once more before turning back to their normal state. That meant Ianto could see clearly again but the rogue weevil was nowhere to be seen.

Slowly, he made his way through the building keeping his eyes open for the missing weevil. He knew for certain he was going in the right direction when he heard it. Snarling and growling as it made it's way closer towards him. Still Ianto proceeded slowly with hopes of gaining the upper hand on the dangerous creature.

The weevil came out of nowhere. Lurching at Ianto from the corner as it caught him off guard. He didn't have time to react and before he knew it the weevil clawed at his chest, shredding the material of his shirt. He could feel his skin tearing as blood warm blood poured down his chest. Ianto gasped loudly but was still able to cover the weevil's face with the spray in his hand. The weevil cried out, stumbling back a few steps before dropping down to it's knees.

Seizing the opportunity, Ianto staggered towards the weevil and pulled the needle out of his pocket, jabbing it in the weevil's neck. The creature cried out once more as it lunged towards Ianto again. Before Ianto realized it the gun in his hand went off three times, each bullet hitting the weevil directly in the chest. It cried out for one final time before it fell over backwards onto the floor. Horrified by what he had done and suffering from blood loss Ianto fell to the ground as darkness overtook him.

* * *

Oh no, what have I done. Please don't hate me but it had to be done. If you are a fan of my work you know I love throwing cliff hangers in every now and then. It's just something I like to do but don't worry. I won't make you wait long for the next chapter like last time. I promise. Now that that's over I'm going to leave and until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary:** Well guys, this is me making it up to you. I decided what better way than to say I'm sorry for not posting is giving you two chapters in one day. Come on, you have to admit that's a really great idea. I mean now you don't have to wait to find out what happened to our poor Ianto and you can put your knives and flamethrowers away. I know you had them. Now that you're happy with me again I swear I will try my best to give you lovely people an update this weekend. Have nothing planned and doesn't look like I'll be busy. Anyways I won't keep you in suspense any longer so please go read and beware of the Janto fluff because it's going to be good. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

They came scurrying into the hub, each locked with a pain expression on their faces. The occurrence in the rift had not been a kind one. Releasing an object that had killed an innocent bystander. A young woman too curious for her own good. Somehow the artifact released a toxin into her bloodstream that rendered her dead in minutes. She was dead long before the team arrived but with the use of Suzie's glove they were able to get the gist of what happened and where the artifact landed after it was dropped.

Running off to their respected places Jack let out a heavy sigh before turning to Tosh. "Tosh I want that thing locked away immediately after you scan it, do you understand."

She nodded. "Yes Jack."

"Good because the last thing we need is for you to end up like that poor young woman. Owen-"

"_Beginning the autopsy and blood scan as we speak," _finished Owen through the comms. _"If I'm able to identify what sort of toxin was administered I may be able to create an antidote for just in case."_

"That's great," Jack smiled sadly as he looked at Suzie. The weapons expert was sitting at her desk and already experimenting with the glove. "Suzie good job with the glove. You seem to have a good handle on that thing."

"Well it's because I spend a lot of time studying it," she replied without looking up. "Who knows how much more this could benefit us in the future."

"I don't know about the future but today that glove really helped us all. Great work."

This time Suzie looked up and beamed. "Thank you Jack. I'm just glad I can make you proud."

"Well you did," smiled Jack. He started to make his way two his office when he stopped suddenly and turned back around. "Hey has anyone seen Ianto."

Both Tosh and Suzie shook their head no.

"He's usually down in the archives around this time of day isn't he," questioned Tosh.

"Yeah he is but he's usually at the door to great us with coffee when we come back from a rift response."

"Jack I don't want to sound paranoid but there's a gun missing from my desk."

Jack's eyes widen in fear. Something was definitely wrong. "Tosh I want all CCTV footage up now."

She didn't waste a second, typing into her computer as fast as she could to bring up video of what happened. A collective gasp was heard by all as they watched the footage of Ianto and the weevil. Jack wasted no time in running to where Ianto was and fell to his side when he saw him lying in a pool of blood on the floor.

* * *

Ianto was unconscious. Deep scratches covered his chest and abdomen, blood pouring out of them. The rabid weevil dead and only a few feet away but Jack was far more concerned about Ianto. Grabbing Ianto's hand, Jack gently tried to shake Ianto into consciousness. Suddenly Ianto's eyes opened and focused on him. "Ianto," cried out Jack.

"I didn't mean to kill it," Ianto replied weakly as he reached up to cover Jack's hand with his bloody one. "I really didn't mean to."

"Ianto it's okay, you were attacked."

"Am I dying?"

"Not on my watch," Owen scoffed before Jack had a chance to reply.

Jack looked over to see the rest of the team rushing in, Owen doing exactly what Jack had done moments earlier. Dropping down to his knees next to Ianto, he pulled a needle out of his bag and gave a quick shot in the leg.

"Epinephrine," he stated looking down at Ianto who continued to flutter in and out of consciousness. "We have to move him to the medical bay in order for me to treat him properly."

Jack did as he was asked and together him and Owen moved Ianto carefully down to the medical bay. Placing Ianto softly on the table Owen began to work.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Tosh.

"I'm not gonna lie, he lost a good amount of blood so he's gonna need a few transfusions and stitches. But I think he's going to be fine." And with that Owen began doing his work as quickly and quietly as possible.

Jack let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding at Owen's words and looked over at the girls. Tosh's hands were clasped together in front of her, her lips moving without a sound coming out. It appeared to Jack that she was sending out a silent prayer to whoever was listening. Suzie was a different story. Her face showed concerned but her eyes, her eyes lacked compassion and warmth. She seemed indifferent. Like she didn't care if Ianto lived or died. It scared Jack.

A moan from underneath him forced Jack's attention to sway from Suzie and down to Ianto, smiling.

Ianto's eyes fluttered open once more as he focused on Jack's face. "Jack."

Jack squeezed Ianto's hand slightly and continued to smile. "I'm right here Ianto," he whispered. "You're going to be okay."

"The weevil-"

"It's dead but it's not your fault. You didn't have a choice."

"I was going to say is gonna be a bitch to clean up but okay," chuckled Ianto softly as he let out a shaky breath. "Thank you for saving me."

"Anytime."

Ianto didn't say anything else as he drifted off to sleep vaguely aware that Jack was still holding his hand.

* * *

It was quiet when he came to again as his eyes fluttered open and he slowly glanced around the room. He was still in the medical bay, lying on the cold table alone. Well he thought he was alone until he looked over to see Jack sitting in a chair next to him.

"Glad to see you're finally awake."

Ianto smiled softly. "How long have I been out," he asked.

"A couple of hours," Jack replied back. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm been mauled by a weevil." Closing his eyes for a moment, he opened them again and let out a painful breath. "So, exactly how long have you been here at my bedside."

Jack shrugged. "A couple of hours, give or take."

"Couldn't find anything better to do."

"More like I couldn't concentrate on doing anything with you down here."

"Oh." Ianto didn't know if he was blushing or not but he could feel heat radiating to his cheeks. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking again. "Jack you didn't have to stay with me."

Jack shrugged once more and smiled. "I know but I wanted to. Besides, I couldn't leave you down here by yourself."

He didn't know what else to say so instead he simply smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Well thank you Jack for alerting me that my patient was awake and alert."

They both looked over to see Owen standing a few feet away with his arms folded across his chest.

"Sorry," Jack apologized sheepishly as he turned to face Owen's scowling face.

Owen waved him off. "Don't worry about. Ianto everything's looking good. Heart rates normal as well as your blood pressure and the transfusions took nicely." He motioned for Ianto to sit up so he could check the younger man's bandages. "I need to change your bandages."

Ianto let out a sigh of relief. "That's good news...about everything looking nice."

"I got it tea-boy," smirked Owen. "Now because of your injuries to the chest and abdomen I'm going to suggest you take the next few days off to rest."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Yes Ianto it is."

"But what about the archives? I'm been working so hard on getting it organized," he whined.

"The archives will be fine for a few days without you," Jack stated sternly as Owen continued applying new bandages onto Ianto's wounds. "And just to be on the safe side that rest is going to start now."

"What do you mean?"

"It means I'm taking you home once Owen's done checking you out."

Ianto scowled at Jack, hoping it would deter Jack's order but to no avail. "Fine," Ianto sighed defeated. "I guess I don't really have a choice in the matter do I."

"No you don't."

* * *

Ten minutes later Ianto found himself on the passenger side of the SUV with a bottle of pain relievers given to him by Owen for the pain. The drive to his flat wasn't long and Ianto was there before he realized it.

Jack got out of the car and rushed to Ianto's side to help him out. Ianto thought about declining immediately decided against it when he saw the look on Jack's face. He let out another sigh but threw his arm around Jack's shoulder and allowed him to help him into the building. Ianto was about reach into his pocket to pull out his key when Jack beat him to it and pulled out his own set of keys to Ianto's apartment. Pushing the door open he said nothing as he lead Jack into the living room area and softly placed him on the couch.

"You have a key to my flat," was the first thing Ianto said, leaning back onto the couch.

"I have a key to everyone's flat," Jack replied with a smirk. "You know just in case there's an emergency."

"Convenient." A moment of silence passed between the two men before Ianto took a deep breath and began talking. "Would you like for me to get you some coffee," offered Ianto as he tried to stand up.

Jack immediately pushed him back down. "I don't think you should be walking right now. How about I make it for you?"

"No offense Jack but I rather get mauled by a weevil again then drink your coffee."

"Well that doesn't offend me at all," smirked Jack as he took a seat next to Ianto. "But back to your offer, thank you but no I don't want any coffee. I would, however, like to talk to you about what happened earlier in my office."

Ianto raised a brow and frowned. "Okay."

Jack took a deep breath and began. "Remember when you were telling me that you'd be happy if we kept our relationship casual."

"Yeah."

"I don't think I want that."

"Oh," frowned Ianto disappointed. "Well if you don't want to see me outside work Jack that's fine-"

"That's not what I meant," Jack replied quickly, interrupting Ianto. Leaning forward, he grabbed Ianto's hand and squeezed it. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I think we could turn this into something more if we really want to."

Ianto eyes widen as he struggled breath. "You're serious."

Jack simply chuckled. "Ianto you may not believe this but I can do commitment. I may not do it often but I can."

"But everyone says that you're-"

"A playboy."

"I was going to say promiscuous but playboy works too."

"I'm not gonna lie," shrugged Jack. "I've had my share of flings and one night-stands but there's more to me than that. And if you let me I can show you."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll think about it unless this is something you're not ready for then we can just forget I ever said anything."

Ianto paused for a moment, taking in everything Jack had just announced. The declaration was sudden and Ianto's mind immediately wanted to proceed with caution but his heart didn't want to wait. "Chinese," he said without warning.

Jack stared at Ianto confused. "What?" he asked.

"When you come back tonight to check up on me, which I know you will, bring Chinese."

A warm smile spread across Jack's face as he leaned closer to Ianto. "Okay."

Ianto smiled and pulled Jack in for a kiss. "I like you Jack," smirked Ianto after the kiss was over and they pulled apart.

"That's good because I like you too."

* * *

Tosh was at her computer furiously typing away. Once it was determined that Ianto would be fine, Tosh ran to her computer intent on finding out what was wrong with it. That had been a few hours ago and she was no closer to finding out what exactly went wrong.

Her hair was in a ponytail off to the side, her glasses rather far down on her nose, and her face was practically glued to the computer screen. Everyone on the team knew that this was Tosh in mission mode. Meaning if someone didn't at least tap her on the shoulder she would stay like that for hours.

It was Suzie who took on the role as caretaker, walking over to Tosh's desk with a steaming mug in her hand. "Tosh," she called out softly. "I brought you some tea."

"I don't want any tea, thanks," replied Tosh without moving her eyes away from the screen.

"I think it would be good for you if stopped for a moment and had a nice cup of hot tea."

When Tosh ignored Suzie let out a sigh and placed the tea down on Tosh's desk. She then grabbed a chair and slid it beside Tosh before sitting down. "Since you won't stop for a break I guess I'll just sit here until you do," she smirked. "Can you at least tell me what you think happened?"

"I don't know how but I think it was a virus that got into the electrical mainframe and caused it to short-circuit somehow."

"A virus can do that."

Tosh gave Suzie an affirmative nod. "Yes, computer virus can be nasty, vicious, and completely unpredictable. But for the life of me I can't figure out how it got into the mainframe. Especially since I have thousands of firewalls built-up making it virtual impossible for someone to send a virus."

"Maybe one of your firewalls has a glitch. That happens sometimes, right."

"Well just like with any other piece of electronic equipment we have, there's always a chance that something to go wrong. Still, Ianto was almost killed because of this problem and I intend to find out why it happened."

"But he wasn't. He took out that weevil before the thing could cause anymore damage. With great precision I might add."

Tosh sighed as she finally looked at Suzie. "I know. I was just really scared."

"I know," Suzie replied as she gave Tosh a small pat on the shoulder. Leaning back into her chair, she tapped the side of her mouth with a finger and let out a sigh. "I can't help but wonder how he was able to get off three rounds into the weevil's chest. I thought he was simply an archivist."

"Ianto once told me that everyone at Torchwood London had weapons training. It didn't matter what department you worked for."

"Oh. I suppose that necessary when you work for a agency like Torchwood. Never know what to expect."

Tosh could only nod as she turned her attention back to her computer screen. Suzie sat there silent while Tosh typed away on her keyboard before finally standing up and walking away. Tosh stopped momentarily to watch Suzie go back to her own desk with an unsettling feeling in her stomach. And it had everything to do with Suzie.

* * *

Come on you know you loved it. Ianto's okay, Janto is blossoming, and our villain (Suzie) is stepping up her game. Hope you guys liked what you read and if you did please let me know, I love reviews. That's all and until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary:** Hello all. This time I have kept my word and am now giving you a weekend update on this fic. Aren't you happy that you got three updates this week instead of your usual two or one. I really am on fire. I should probably stop gloating, wouldn't want my ego to grow any more than it already has. Anyways I just want to thank everyone who let a review, favorited, and are now following this fic, it makes me really happy to know that there are people out there who enjoy what I put out. You guys are so awesome. Now enough of that, go read. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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**Chapter Eight**

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True to his word Jack came back to Ianto's flat, Chinese food in hand, and let himself in with his key. Walking inside he immediately noticed a lump lying on the sofa underneath a red and black duvet. Upon further inspection Jack realized that Ianto was sleeping soundly underneath it.

Placing the food on the coffee table, he crouched down next to Ianto's head and pressed a kiss against Ianto's forehead. Ianto stirred for a moment but didn't wake up so Jack gave him another kiss. This time on the lips.

"Hey sleepyhead," smiled Jack when Ianto stirred again and opened one eye.

Slowly Ianto opened both eyes before trying to sit up. "Jack...what time is it," he asked, hissing as he was hit by a wave of pain.

Jack was immediately at his side, helping him get into a more comfortable position while avoiding more pain. "Quarter to eight," he answered when he finished helping Ianto sit up.

Ianto frowned. "I've been out for a while haven't I."

"Yeah. I guess those pills Owen gave you pack more of punch than you thought."

"Well the rest was welcomed I'll tell you that much," smirked Ianto. "I smell Chinese." Eyes darting towards the table proved his theory.

"I brought dinner just like you asked."

Ianto smiled softly. "Great because I am starving,"

Jack smiled back as he grabbed the food cartons and handing one to Ianto, along with a fork. "Beef and broccoli for you and Chinese chicken for me."

"Thank you," grinned Ianto gratefully before taking a bite. He chewed slowly but stopped completely when he noticed Jack wasn't eating but instead looking at him. Swallowing slowly, he reached over and grabbed Jack's hand, squeezing it. "Thank you so much for looking after me."

Jack leaned over and gave Ianto a quick peck on the lips. "Well if I don't look after you who will," he replied with a smirk and wink.

Ianto found himself blushing from Jack's words and started to eat again in silence. From time to time the pair would glance over at each other but quickly turn their gaze away and back to their food.

* * *

Finally, when their stomachs were filled to capacity, Jack gathered the left over food and placed it in the microwave.

"Are you still sore?" he asked as he made his way back over to the sofa. "Do you need another pill?"

"No," Ianto replied, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Besides as we've learned I have a very low tolerance for drugs and I don't want to fall asleep again."

"Okay, then what do you want to do."

This time Ianto shrugged. "I don't know," he answered finally. "We could watch some television or something if you don't have to get back to the Hub to relieve anyone."

"I have my rift monitor on me in case something happens and as for the team I gave them the night off."

"Why?"

"It's been a long day for everyone so I decided they should go home and unwind," stated Jack. "Especially Tosh who sat at the computer for three hours straight without moving. She's determined to find out why what happened today happened."

"Most likely it was a glitch in the system," Ianto suggested, frowning. "Possibly a power overload."

"Those are all good theories but theories aren't good enough for Tosh. She was really scared for you. We all were."

Ianto gave Jack a smile. "Well as you can see I'm fine. Besides, I've been through worse than a couple of weevil scratches."

"They're more like gashes but whatever; as long as you're okay that's all that matters."

"I am."

"Good but I have one question. Where did you learn to shoot like that?" asked Jack.

"Excuse me."

"The shots you put in the weevil were close range and were nearly perfect. I thought you were just an archivist."

"I was," Ianto answered. "But if you read my file then you would know that I have had field and gun training. It was mandatory at Torchwood One."

A light blush crept upon Jack's face as he looked down slightly embarrassed. "I did read your file...just not all of it," he admitted softly.

With a raised eyebrow Ianto smirked. "Of course you didn't."

"But I promise to do that first thing tomorrow morning. While I wait for that to come why don't you tell me some things about yourself."

"Why?" he asked.

Jack shrugged and smiled. "I just want to know more about you that's all, aside the things I read in your file."

He thought about Jack's question for a moment then returned the smile. "Alright," he replied, grinning. "But only if you promise you'll do the same for me one day."

The smile on Jack's face grew wider. Leaning forward, Jack took Ianto's hand into his own and kissed it. "I have a feeling Ianto Jones that I'm going to tell you everything about myself sooner than you think," he whispered honestly.

"I'll hold you to it," Ianto smiled as he leaned forward and kissed Jack softly on the lips. "So, where should we start?" he asked pulling away.

"Let's start with your family. I did read that you had a sister in your file but your parents were deceased. May I ask how?"

"My mum died of cancer when I was thirteen."

"And your father."

"Heart attack when I was seventeen."

Jack squeezed Ianto's hand softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Ianto smiled faintly. "It's been a long time since they'd passed and I've come to terms with it."

"Still, must have been to lose both parents in such a short period of time."

"I guess it was. Losing my mother was harder for me to handle something I think than my father."

"Why is that?"

"When I was younger my father pushed me hard. Sometimes to hard. It got worse after my mum died and I never understood why. I thought he hated me because I reminded me so much of her and he really wanted nothing to do with me. I took it, letting him berate me at every turn until I finally snapped one day and did the one thing I could. I rebelled.

"By shoplifting," teased Jack causing Ianto to blush.

"That and among other things," whispered Ianto ashamed. "Things I'm not proud of."

Jack noticed the look in Ianto's eyes and reached out to cup his chin. "Hey," he replied lovingly. "We've all done things we aren't proud of. Trust me."

"I know but besides the shoplifting I let my grades slip but not turning in work assignments and sometimes, not even going to school at all. It didn't stop the fighting, just made it worse turning from emotional abuse to physical a few times. But by that time I didn't care about my life or his.

"Oh my...Ianto-"

"I told you Jack, I'm over it," repeated Ianto, smiling as he said it. "My dad and I actually started working on fixing our relationship a couple of months after my seventeenth birthday. Sadly he died a few months after that but thankfully some of the damage was repaired. He died knowing that I'd forgiven him." He paused momentarily, a sad smile creeping upon his face at the thought of his deceased parents. It had been hard losing them at a young age and he sometimes wondered if his life would be different if they had lived. Looking back at Jack, Ianto shook the thoughts out of his head and smiled once more. "Then," continued Ianto. "After he did I went to Uni but only for a year after deciding school wasn't for me. Got myself a few jobs that got me by but didn't completely satisfy me."

"Then how did you get a job working for Torchwood London," asked Jack intriguingly.

Ianto chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said job fair because that's how it happened. Their booth was masquerading as a small brokerage firm looking for an office manager's assistant."

"And let me guess, they made you take a test."

"Yep but not an ordinary test," grinned Ianto excitedly. "A test within a test which I passed. I got a call the very next day asking me to come in for an interview. I took another test and that's when they discovered that I had an edict memory and an IQ of 150."

Jack pulled back surprised. "Are you serious?"

Ianto scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Jack did you even read my file?"

Jack looked down embarrassed. He couldn't believe there was so much about Ianto he hadn't known but would have if only he read the younger man's file throughly. "Okay...so maybe I skimmed over your file but I didn't need to read all of it to know that I wanted you for the job," replied Jack quickly. "If it's any consolation I read your school file and it stated that you were an able student."

"Because that's how I perceived myself. I told you, I rebelled."

"By letting your grades slip on purposed."

"Yep," smirked Ianto. "I always found school to be easy and boring. It was never challenging enough for me."

Jack gave Ianto a smirk of his own. "I can see why."

"Same with Uni. I would finish all my assignments ahead of time but that left me sitting in the back of the classroom bored and unfocused. So, I dropped out and got a job working as a barrista."

"Explains your coffee making skills."

Ianto leaned closer into Jack and grinned mischievously. "I have quite a few skills Jack and if you're good you might just get to learn them all," he all but purred.

Jack could feel his body start to tingle and quickly had to remind himself that Ianto was in no condition to do anything strenuous. So, taking a deep breath, he grabbed Ianto's hand and lifted him up off the sofa. Pulling Ianto closer, he placed a small chaste kiss on Ianto's cheek.

Ianto was startled. "Jack-"

"I'll hold you to that but for now you need your rest," he chuckled softly. "Owen would have my head if I did anything to mess up his handiwork," Jack replied, pointing at Ianto's chest. "So off to bed with you.

Ianto found himself pouting playfully. "Aww, do I have to?"

Jack chuckled once more. "Yes you do. Don't worry, I'll help you get changed and tuck you in."

"Will you read me a bed time story too."

"Only if you behave."

It was Ianto's turn to laugh as he rested his head on Jack's shoulder. He slowly started to lead Jack to his bedroom, a place no one had ever been except for himself. "Stay with me, just till I fall asleep?" asked Ianto, stopping abruptly a few steps from the doorway.

"As if I was going anywhere tonight."

* * *

Ianto back story and Janto fluff. Did you like it. No, it was nothing like they gave us on the show because they hardly gave us any. It took three seasons to find out that Ianto's dad wasn't a tailor and he had a sister before he was killed off. As for the back story about Ianto being super smart in my mind he was, especially with the 'I know everything' line he would constantly give us. Sometimes I can't help but wonder what it would have been like it he was a companion of the Doctor's. Two men who were practically geniuses together traveling the world. That would have been awesome. Anyways that's enough of that. Until next time which I hope will be sooner rather than later,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary:** Hey all, did you miss me. Well it's been a long day but I got before Burn Notice comes on so I decided to go ahead and update. It's been five days since the last update so I figured you readers were do one. Just want to say thanks to everyone who has been loving this fic. I'm always worried that someone will flame me just because they don't like my story or complain about how OCC my characters or you know, the freaks who say that writing slash is wrong but sit through all ten chapters of the story just to tell you so. Those guys are douchebags. But not you guys, you guys rock so much love to you. I guess I should stop buttering you up and let you go ahead and read. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Author's Note:** When I first started writing this story I had a beta but like all my other beta's for my long fics they suddenly stopped so while this chapter was beta'd by (I forgot who) the next chapter is all me. So I guess that means all mistakes are mine, you know, after this chapter. To jerseybelle, if you want to beta the rest of the fic just let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you. All you gotta do is send me your email address. Hope to hear from you.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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**Chapter Nine**

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After being on leave for a whole three days, Ianto rejoiced as he entered the Hub and made his way to the archives. True to his word, Jack made sure Ianto followed Owen's medical advice and forced the younger man to stay home and rest. It was great the first day, Ianto got caught up on all the things he missed doing working for Torchwood. Answering emails and calling friends he hadn't spoken to in a while to catch up and explain why he'd been absent. He even called his sister and let her know that he was still alive and well. But by the time the evening rolled around Ianto was bored out of his mind. Feeding Janet and the rest of the weevils were starting to sound fun with each passing minute he was alone. Thankfully Tosh came over that night and the two of them had dinner together before watching a movie; Tosh filling him in on all the things he missed that day.

Once Tosh had gone Ianto was by himself for only a short while before Jack came over. Just like the previous night he ushered Ianto to bed before crawling in next to him, arms around his waist. Ianto didn't mind. He was rather growing fond of Jack sharing his bed and wasn't sure how his body would react once he was better and Jack went back to sleeping in his tiny bunk.

The following morning Owen came by to check on him and make sure he was healing properly. He was satisfied, telling Ianto and Jack, who never left, that Ianto was recovery nicely and could return to work the following day. Both Ianto and Jack let out a sigh of relief unnoticed by Owen who was relieved as well. Owen didn't know ho much longer he could go on without Ianto's addictive coffee.

"For Christ's sake."

Before he had a chance to turn the corner Ianto turned to see Suzie standing behind him, sucking on her finger. She was the only one who hadn't visited him after the attack.

"Paper-cut," she winced, showing Ianto her now bleeding finger while holding sheets of paper in her other hand. "Jack wanted me to give you these before you got down to the archives," replied Suzie, handing him the papers.

"Thanks Suzie," smiled Ianto as he took the papers and gave them a quick glance. They were expense reports that Jack either didn't understand or want to do. Ianto was going with latter. A smile crept upon his face as he thought about Jack's laziness when he noticed that Suzie was still standing in front of him. Lingering. Giving her a perplexed stare, he asked. "Is there anything else you needed?"

She cleared her throat repeatedly while her eyes moved uncontrollably across the room. "I was wondering," she began, stuttering. "...I mean not wanting to be a bother but it's been three days since you've been here and I wanted-"

"To know if I would make coffee."

"Yes," she breathed ecstatically. "But only if you feel up to it because if not-"

Ianto stopped her mid-rant. "Suzie it will be no trouble at all. I feeling much better but thanks for your concern," he assured her.

"Thank you so much Ianto. Owen's been an even bigger jerk these past few days and I think your coffee will be just the thing to shut him up."

"Well this is Owen after all."

Suzie laughed softly and gave Ianto a faint smile. "Still thank you. If you only knew-"

"Only knew what?" Ianto asked curiously.

Realizing her slip, she continued to smile as she shook her head. "Its nothing. I meant nothing by it," replied Suzie. "I should let you get to work."

"Alright," mumbled Ianto as Suzie moved quickly on her way. Shaking his head, Ianto made a detour away from the archives and towards the kitchen instead.

* * *

The coffee was ready to serve five minutes later and Ianto move quickly to disperse to Tosh, Owen, and Suzie. As always he saved Jack's for last, walking into his office and closing the door behind him.

Jack was on the phone when Ianto arrived thankfully with coffee distracting him momentarily. "Hello sexy," purred Jack as Ianto sat the coffee down. "No I'm not talking to you Stevens."

Ianto snickered. "Talking to UNIT I see."

Rolling his eyes and scoffing was Jack's response while he continued listening to the other man yell at him for something. Jack really wasn't paying attention, especially since Ianto had chosen that moment to take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves. "I'm gonna have to call you back."

"_Dammit Harkness!" _but Jack had already hung up the phone. Not wasting any time Jack stood up and grabbed Ianto around the waist, kissing him feverishly. "Hi," smiled Jack when they pulled apart.

Ianto grinned. "Hi," he answered back.

"First day back at work going okay."

"It's better now. I brought you coffee."

"Thank god for that," Jack replied, picking up the mug up from his desk. "Phenomenal, as always."

He grinned smugly and shrugged slightly. "I aim to please."

"Well please away."

Ianto growled and pulled Jack in for another kiss.

Jack immediately responded, his hand cradling the back of Ianto's neck, aching for more contact. With one hand on Ianto's neck, he began to slide the other hand down. Down Ianto's chest and towards his hip, gripping it gently.

"Jack not here," Ianto managed to murmur into the kiss. He smirked when he heard Jack groan with disappointment and pulled away but continued to place kisses along Jack's jawline. "But I promise, as soon as Owen clears me I'm all yours."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Oh I intend to keep this one," grinned Ianto, kissing Jack passionately one more time before pulling away. "But as of now I have an archive that's been without me for three days and could really use my attention."

"I could really use your attention," Jack whined childishly, pouting.

"Not here Jack."

He huffed. "Alright fine."

"Good boy." Fixing his clothes back to perfection, Ianto left Jack's office with a smile on his face and completely ignoring the curious looks from his teammates.

* * *

Down in the archives Ianto busied himself with work unaware of time until he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Tosh standing behind him.

Jumping slightly he smiled. "Hey Tosh."

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You startled me," answered Ianto honestly as he continued to smile. "But it's okay. May I help you with something."

"I just came down to get your lunch order and Owen wants to see you."

"It's time for lunch already."

Tosh nodded. "Yep. Suzie and I are ordering from that Indian restaurant a few streets away."

"Well if it's Indian then I will have the chicken curry."

"Okay, and don't forget about Owen."

Ianto gave her a reassuring nod. "I won't," he replied.

Giving Ianto a soft smile she turned to walk away but stopped immediately when she heard Ianto call out.

"Hey Tosh."

"Yeah."

"Has Suzie been acting strange lately," asked Ianto with a ragged breath.

"Well to be honest Ianto Suzie's always been a little strange," giggled Tosh shrugging. "But no more than usual. Why?"

"No reason."

"You asked me about Suzie so there must be a reason."

He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through slowly as he tried to find the right words to say. "I'm not trying to start trouble or anything," he began nervously. "It's just...sometimes I get that feeling that she doesn't like me."

Tosh shrugged. "I'm sure she does. It just takes Suzie longer to warm up to new people than most people."

"I'm sure you're right," Ianto replied unsure but smiled nonetheless. "Well I better get up to see Owen before he throws a hissy fit."

Tosh gave Ianto a friendly pat on the shoulder and left.

Ianto waited for a few moments before leaving the archives and heading to Owen's lab. Owen wasn't doing anything important, playing computer games and surfing the Internet. "You wanted to see me," Ianto said, forcing Owen to look up at him.

"Just wanted to see how you were feeling," Owen replied, standing up as he pointed towards the chair across his desk.

He took the hint and sat down. "I'm feeling fine," answered Ianto. "Everything's fine."

Grabbing Ianto's medical fine, he began writing down Ianto's responses down. "Tired, achy, nauseous."

"No, no, and no."

"That's good. Stitches okay. None have popped have they."

"Last time I checked they were all there."

Owen smirked. "Wonderful. Just keep cleaning them properly and refrain from any strenuous activities and I will most likely be able to take them out in a weeks time."

"And by strenuous you mean-"

"No sex, well no full on intercourse but oral and hand-jobs are okay. Make sure you relay that bit of information to Jack alright."

Ianto let out a startled cough. "What?"

Owen rolled his eyes at the archivist. "Oh come on you poofer, we all know about you and the bossman. You two were doing a poor job of hiding it."

"Owen-"

"I don't care, none of us do, in fact we weren't surprised. The way Jack's been eye-fucking you since you got here pretty much assured us that you two were going to hook up."

"It's not like that with me and Jack," frowned Ianto

Owen rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he scoffed. "Like I said I don't care but I will tell you this. You're not the first one to fall for Jack's charms only to get tossed to the side."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you think it's different with you and Jack then ask him about Suzie and see what he tells you."

"I will."

Owen sighed softly as he placed Ianto's file back on his desk. He wished he could say he had no idea why he was giving Ianto the warning but deep down he liked Ianto. Slowly the younger man was becoming like a younger brother to him and he didn't want to see him hurt. Although he would never admit that out loud. "Just...you need to be careful Ianto. It's all I'm saying."

Mumbling a soft thank you, Ianto stood up and quickly retreated from Owen's office. He thought about ignoring Owen's remark, going back down to the archives and pretending the conversation never happened. But he knew hew couldn't do that. Owen's words would eat up him, slowly devouring him until he exploded with anger. No, Ianto decided to take control of the situation and confront Jack immediately.

* * *

He stood outside of Jack's office for a few moments, forcing his breathing steady and his heart to stop racing. Finally when he felt he was ready he opened the door and willed himself to speak. "Hello Jack."

A grin instantly spread across Jack's face. "Ianto I was just thinking about you."

"I bet you were," muttered Ianto, taking another deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak again, twice, but couldn't grasp the words he wanted.

Jack didn't have to be psychic to know that something was weighing heavily on Ianto's mind. He would consider himself a bad boss and boyfriend if he didn't. "You're thinking about something," Jack smirked as Ianto continued to stand in front of him completely silent. "What is it?"

It came out rushed. "Is there something you're not telling me, about Suzie," the words tumbling out of his mouth.

"Ianto I-"

Ianto didn't wait for him to finish. "Whatever it is Jack you can tell me. I promise I won't get upset," Ianto assured him. "I just want the truth."

He sat up, back straight as he clasped his hands together on his desk. This was something he hadn't discussed with anyone, ever but he didn't want to keep the truth from Ianto. Besides, Jack had nothing to be ashamed about. _"_Alright truth," he began blatantly. "Suzie and I did have a fling after I recruited her. It lasted for a few months."

"What happened?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, leaning back again. "I mean we had fun, it was a great way to relieve stress, but ultimately we both decided to end things."

"Who broke up with who," Ianto felt compelled to ask.

"It was mutual." Seeing he wasn't truly convincing Ianto with his responses, Jack got up from his desk and walked over to Ianto. "Look Ianto Suzie and I are over, we have been for a long time and I'm sorry for not telling you about it."

Ianto felt ashamed of his actions. The last thing he wanted was for Jack to feel bad about anything. The past was the past. "I don't care about that Jack," replied Ianto, sighing. "It's just that finding out that you used to sleep with Suzie and you two had a thing...I need to know that we're more than just a fling."

Grabbing Ianto's hands, Jack placed them around his waist as he pulled Ianto closer. "Ianto," he spoke softly, his eyes staring into Ianto's deeply. "I know that I have this reputation of being this promiscuous playboy but I can do monogamy. I want to be monogamous with you. Just so we're clear," Jack added. "Are we?"

He could feel his heart swell in his chest from Jack's words and all doubts he previously had disappeared. Ianto realized that Jack came with a past, one he would have to accept if he wanted Jack to be his future. "Yeah, we are."

"Good," smiled Jack, pulling Ianto into a tongue heavy kiss.

An elicited moan escaped from Ianto's mouth as Jack pushed him against the wall. He mentally checked to make sure he locked the door when Jack's hand traveled down to his hip. Ianto knew immediately what Jack was up to. "Jack," moaned Ianto, pulling away slightly to speak. "Owen said no strenuous activities."

Jack smiled as he slid his hand down into Ianto's trouser pants. "Don't worry," he smirked devilishly as he dropped down to his knees. "You won't even have to move."

Ianto wanted to protest but decided against it. Jack was doing that move with his tongue and no human on earth could resist that. Besides, he had a few minutes before lunch arrived.

* * *

So did you like it. Are you even more suspicious of Suzie now that you know she and Jack used to have a thing. Don't think that was apart of the show but this is my fanfic and I can write what I want. Also, raise your hand if you loved the slight smexiness I added at the end. Wish I could do more but the damn rules won't let me. All well until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary:** Hey I'm back. I know you missed me. Why, because I so was supposed to update this weekend and totally didn't. Sorry, time just got away from me and before I knew it the week had started again. Plus I was waiting to get this chapter and few others back from my betas. Yes, beta's as in two. Why because either I'm so great I require two people to beta for me or I'm that bad I need two people to beta for me. Because I'm somewhat conceited with an enormous ego I'm going with the first one. Still, I'm very sorry about being late and I will try not to let that happen again. Now enough with the pity party go ahead and read the next chapter. Enjoy.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

The next month brought even more cases of rift incidents, sending the team into overdrive. While his team-mates were busy keeping the world safe from dangerous aliens, Ianto was putting the final touches on his archives. After months of hard work he finally had everything labelled, tagged, and stored away properly. No one could believe that he had been able to finish as quickly as he had, giving Ianto a new sense of pride.

He had just finished putting the last of the artifacts away when he heard a beep in his ear.

"We have a body."

Also over the last month Ianto had not only become the team's driver, getting them everywhere they needed to be, but was in charge of creating cover stories for the police and reporters. He didn't mind. It got him out of the Hub and made him feel closer to the team. It also gave him a chance to keep an eye on the car and make sure it got back in one piece. The only downside to the new job title was the rare instances he had to create cover-stories for a victim's family. It was heartbreaking to look into the eyes of a victim's loved ones and lie to them about the death. A necessity, but still heartbreaking.

"I'm on my way."

The drive to the crime scene was a short one. The victim, a forty-nine year old Caucasian female, was found in an alley with one stab wound in the chest. From what Owen had been told by the coroner, the woman was stabbed once before being dragged into the abandoned alley.

"She probably didn't even see it coming," sighed Owen as he pointed at the trail of blood leading from the sidewalk to the alley.

"And it's just like before?" asked Jack. He was referring to two weeks before when a seventy-two year old woman was found dead inside her own home, a single stab wound to the chest. The team wouldn't have been notified about the second body if the medical examiner hadn't found traces of an unidentified metal in the wound. Or if the weapon used in the murder wasn't in any of the registries. Also, it didn't help that the body gave off slight traces of radioactivity. The murder had the police stumped and they had no choice but to involve the Torchwood team.

Ianto watched from a distance as Owen examined the body, Tosh at his side, while Jack interviewed the man who found the body as well as the officers on the scene. Suzie stood back, an anxious look in her eyes and Ianto instantly knew why. She wanted to use the glove again. Ianto shuddered at the memory of the last victim she used the glove on.

It was a week ago when a Vandicore, a vicious alien, came through the rift and sliced a man's throat before ripping his heart out. Before the team knew that, the man had been awakened with a jolt, eyes wide with fear as he glanced at the people standing over him. Words tumbled out of his mouth, weeping and chattering about the darkness that was coming for him. Suzie tried to ask him about his death but the man was too confused to answer. Finally, close to the two minute mark, he let out a loud gasp before his eyes closed once more.

Everyone looked at Jack with sympathetic glances, upset that they couldn't do more for the victim, but not Suzie. To Ianto, Suzie seemed calm...too calm to have been witness to as many brutal deaths as they've had in the past few weeks. Not to mention the gleam of excitement she got in her eyes every time she slipped the glove on her hand. It was as if something inside of her was sparked whenever she used the glove and her obsession grew even more. That's what scared Ianto the most. He personally knew what happened when one became obsessed with alien technology. It often led to a very dark and dangerous road.

"No, this is Suzie I'm talking about," he whispered to himself as he watched Suzie from a distance as she worked. "She would never do anything to harm another living soul." He hoped that if he repeated the mantra over and over again his mind would start believing it. His gut on the other hand-

"Ianto, are you alright?"

He looked to find Tosh standing in front of him, worry in her eyes as she stared at him silently. Ianto realized that he was so caught up in his thoughts about Suzie that he hadn't noticed they were finished with the crime-scene. The body was now covered and Owen was working on taking it back to the SUV with Jack's help. As usual Suzie was nowhere to be found.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Because for a moment you seemed-"

"Honestly, I'm fine," he repeated. "It's just...she was so young," he lied, giving her a reassuring smile.

Tosh smiled sadly. "Yeah. These cases are the ones that really get to you, you know."

Ianto gave Tosh a nod. "Shall we get going?"

She gave him a nod in return and the two of them walked back to the SUV, Ianto sliding into the driver's seat while the rest of the team followed.

* * *

The thoughts of the evening kept him awake and Ianto found himself unable to sleep. After lying next to Jack, who was sound asleep, for what felt like eternity, Ianto slipped out of bed and padded barefoot to the kitchen. Sitting in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate would be better than lying in the bed, restless.

Jack didn't have to open his eyes to know he was alone in the bed. He opened them anyway to glance at the clock for the time. It was a little after two in the morning and his lover was nowhere in the room. Getting out of bed, he instantly noticed the kitchen light on and Ianto sitting at the table with his head down and a mug in his hands.

"Ianto," Jack whispered as he walked over to the table and placed a soft kiss on Ianto's forehead. "What are you still doing up?"

He shrugged. "Can't sleep," he sighed sadly.

"Well maybe there's something I could do to help you with that."

"Jack, it's been a long day and you're tired. Go back to bed."

"I wish I could but seeing as how I'm your boyfriend, I'm inclined to ask about your well-being every once in a while," joked Jack, but he didn't receive the hoped for smile for his efforts. "Seriously, tell me what's bothering you."

"It's nothing."

"It's something if you can't sleep."

"Sometimes when I have too much on my mind I suffer from insomnia," replied Ianto with another shrug.

Jack wasn't backing down. "What's on your mind?"

"Jack-"

"Ianto," Jack replied in the same stern tone.

Seeing that Jack wasn't going to let the subject go, Ianto finally conceded as he let out a sigh. "When I worked at Torchwood One I was a nobody," he began.

"I sure that's not true."

"No, it's the truth. Sure I had a few friends that I would get together with after work but I mostly stayed to myself down in the archives with the other staffers. I never had to deal with what came through or much less care about it. I was just an archivist. But here-" Ianto paused for a moment, taking another deep breath and releasing a painful sigh. "Everything is so up close and personal. I'm not just seeing objects and items from other planets and filing what they are, I'm seeing what they bring. I see them bring pain and destruction and sometimes death. So much death and...I can't help but wonder if what I do really makes a difference. If we're really making a difference."

Jack back and listened carefully to what Ianto was saying, absorbing it in like a sponge before reaching out and grabbing Ianto's hand. "I like to think we are," he replied softly.

"Jack-"

"No, listen," began Jack. "I know working for Torchwood can sometimes be...draining and it often leads us to wonder if the fight is even worth it. But it is." He paused momentarily, squeezing Ianto's hand tightly. "With every attack we prevent and every life we save it gives me hope that what we do is more important than we could possibly imagine."

"So you're saying that we are the unsung heroes of the Earth."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Ianto didn't reply as a soft smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Jack," he whispered finally. "I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime." Jack smiled back as he stood up and held out his hand for Ianto to grab. Once he had it he began leading Ianto back to his room. "Now let's get you back to bed. Think you can sleep now?"

"Yes, I think I so," Ianto answered honestly, lying down in the bed and pulling the sheets over both him and Jack. "Especially if you're here beside me."

"That's very good to know."

* * *

A little fluff, a little angst, and more suspicion of Suzie. Now that my readers is a good combination. Hope you liked the chapter and I hope you review. I so love it when you do. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary:** What's this, another chapter. Two chapters in one day. Am I awesome or am I awesome. I figured since I didn't give you an update this weekend the least I could do is give you two tonight. I know you weren't prepared for it but I like to surprise my readers sometimes. I'm a giver, it's what I do. Anyways I know you don't want to hear me babbling anymore so go ahead and read. Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

She sat at her desk, mulling over the paperwork she had yet to finish. It wasn't entirely her fault. If the rift hadn't been so active lately she would have finished her work at the appropriate time and perhaps be doing something more productive with her time.

Letting out a sigh, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder. She could feel him watching her every move as if he was tracking her. The reason was still unknown but she had a feeling it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with the glove. Maybe he was jealous. If he was he had every right to be. The glove had turned out to be powerful. Using alien technology to bring the dead back to life and only she had to power to do so. During her initial research she let her teammates try on the glove to measure the glove's response. They all failed and that's when she realized that only she possessed the ability to harness the glove's power.

Her teammates were all happy for her. They all saw how she was making a difference and she couldn't put into words the pride Jack bestowed on her whenever her use of the glove helped with a case. Everyone, that is, except Ianto. No, Ianto looked down on her, glared at her as if she was an evil person, hell-bent on world domination.

Yvonne Hartman was to blame for his distrust. She was the imbecile who brought about the battle of Canary Wharf that killed hundreds of people, not her. She wasn't to blame and yet, around Ianto she often felt like she was and she knew that Ianto had voiced his opinions and concerns to Jack. Sure, using the glove on murder victims seemed like a horrendous and somewhat unconventional idea to some but to her, it was necessary if she wanted to save lives. If Ianto couldn't see that then he was the fool.

Still, she hadn't counted on Ianto being such a thorn in her side. He was brought on to work in the archives, fix the mess that complied over the years, and make coffee for them whenever they needed some. That all changed when he and Jack began their...affair. Both wanted her to believe that they're relationship was about more than sex but she knew better. Jack wasn't the type to settle down especially not with someone like Ianto, no matter how handsome he looked in a suit. But whatever the allure was between the two men she was sure that it wouldn't be long before Jack stopped believing in her and started believing all Ianto's lies.

She let out another sigh and placed the pen in her hand down on the desk. Pulling up the CCTV on her computer she stared at the people trekking all over the city of Cardiff. A part of her pitied them, for they would never know the sheer brilliance the universe had to offer. Living in the shadows, ignorant to the fact that there were beings in the night sky that could destroy them all and only she could keep them at bay. Paperwork forgotten, she opened her desk drawer and pulled out the glove, sliding it over hand with ease. She could feel the power immediately and as it soothed her soul and mind, she started to smile. Letting out a contented sigh this time, she leaned back in her chair and continued to watch the people walking the streets.

* * *

Gwen Cooper, PC, let out a yawn as she completed yet another sheet of paperwork. It was her own fault really, deciding to go out for lunch with her boyfriend Rhys instead of finishing her paperwork like she started to do. Now it was close to ten o'clock and she was still stuck at the station while Rhys was either out with friends or home in bed.

This time, sighing, she began on another sheet when a fellow detective plopped down in the seat across from her and mumbled loudly.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

The detective looked up and smiled apologetically. "Oh sorry, Gwen, didn't mean to say that out loud."

"That's okay," she smiled softly. "Want to talk about it?"

"No, because it will only cause me more stress and that's exactly what I don't need."

"Hard case?"

"The worse. Two victims, both stabbed to death by the same murder weapon and more than likely the same killer and I've gotten nowhere. But do you know what I have gotten, Torchwood running around and stealing my cases."

Gwen had heard that name before. Some secret government organization that dealt with very extreme and unusual cases. Andy, her partner, often referred to the cases as 'Spooky Doos'. "Torchwood?" she asked. "You've met people that work there."

"A few," the detective sighed. "From what I've seen there's a leader who wears an RAF coat all the time, a male doctor, a Japanese woman, a woman with curly hair, and a very polished man in an even nicer tailored three piece suit."

"That's it. That's all you seen."

"They're not a talkative bunch, Cooper. They come rolling onto the crime-scene with a giant SUV with the name Torchwood branded on the side and start barking orders. Next thing I know they've taken the body, all the evidence and my case has been redirected to them."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault, Cooper. That's just the way it goes sometimes." Letting out a huff, the detective stood up and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll tell you what though, for a supposedly secret government agency it seems a little idiotic to run around the city with it's name on the side of their car.

Gwen couldn't contain her smile. "You're right, that does seem rather stupid," she grinned. She watched as the detective left the desk before she looked down at the paperwork in front of her. She only had a few more sheets to fill out and then she was done for the night. And if she was done then there was nothing stopping her from going home and curling with Rhys on the couch. That's what she could have done if there wasn't a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach that compelled her to open up a browser on her computer and type in the name 'Torchwood'. She had some research to do.

* * *

Please don't hate me because I brought in Gwen. When I began writing this story it was always my intention to bring the PC in, just not in the same capacity as on the show. I mean she's there and she has a part but she won't be in the way of my boys. I know some people who are reading this don't like her but give my Gwen a chance. Hopefully you'll like her. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary:** Okay I know, I'm an evil person. How dare I be gone so long without another chapter post like I promised. I wish I could come up with a better excuse besides being busy, not having enough funds to cover the internet bill until today. But luckily I am back baby and yes, it is with a vengeance. I hope you guys aren't too mad at me. Anyways you've waited long enough so I'm going to stop talking now and let you read. Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

Six days had passed since the second body had been discovered in an alley way and Ianto's relationship with his teammates was on edge. It started with Suzie who was now being mean, snappish, and watching his every move. Somewhere down the line she had gotten to Owen who had taken to watching him as well and only speaking to him whenever he brought the doctor coffee and even then Owen's dialect consisted of a snarling scowl and a very mumbled thanks. Tosh seemed to be her usual self, too wrapped up in her computers to notice what was going on around her and Jack was being Jack.

Finally Ianto couldn't take anymore and he slipped into Jack's office when Suzie disappeared somewhere. Ianto desperately hoped it was to leave for the day. She did have every Wednesday off and today was Wednesday. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to Jack's desk. "Jack we need to talk."

Jack looked up from what he was doing and smiled. He didn't waste any time pushing the papers to the side. "Okay."

"But not here. Maybe down in your room."

He could feel the tension coming off Ianto's body and floating through the room. "Sure," was all he said as he got up from his chair and made his way out of the door.

Ianto followed him, immune to the looks he was receiving from both Owen and Tosh who probably assumed that he and Jack were about to do something pertaining to sex. At the moment he didn't care what they thought; his only concern was voicing his concerns to Jack.

He remained silent as he climbed the ladder into Jack's room. Once his feet hit the floor he let out a heavy sigh and turned around to face Jack who was sitting patiently on the bed.

"Ianto, what's all this about?"

"It's about Suzie and the glove," he replied nervously. "I think there's something going on with her."

Jack's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Ianto, where is this coming from?"

"Coming from?" scoffed Ianto, shaking his head. "It's been there since the moment she told me about that glove. Jack, she's become obsessed with it, always wanting to experiment on the bodies in the street and in the morgue. Those people have been through enough, they shouldn't have to come back only to be forced into darkness again. It isn't right. They deserve to be respected."

"But we don't have a choice. If we don't do what we do then innocent lives could be lost."

Ianto gave Jack a slight nod. "I understand that she wants to know everything there is to know about the glove under the guise that she could save lives in the future but at what cost? That glove feeds off Suzie, but who's to say that she's not feeding off of it."

"Ianto," Jack sighed as he stood up and placed a concerned hand on Ianto's arm. "Maybe you should sit down and really think about what you're saying to me."

"I know what you're thinking," hissed Ianto, pulling away from Jack. "You think I'm acting like this because of what I went through at Canary Wharf. Well you're wrong," he spat. "I'm acting like this because for some reason no one else can see the darkness in her eyes every time she brings another person back to life. She's starting to crave the control and power the glove gives her and it's only a matter of time before she becomes completely corrupted."

"Ianto, please be reasonable. I've known Suzie for seven years; she's my second in command and has been nothing but a remarkable asset to this team and organization."

Ianto looked at Jack as he took a step back away from him. He couldn't believe that Jack didn't believe. After all the lectures he had gave about opening up his heart and learning to trust, Jack was the one who was doing neither. It was enough to break Ianto's heart all over again. "Why can't you just trust me?" he asked somberly, shaking his head sadly.

"I do trust you."

"Really, because it seems like you don't. You haven't even told me anything about your past, where you're from. And it isn't fair because I've told you everything about me." Taking a deep breath, Ianto straightened his tie the best he could with trembling fingers and gave Jack a nod. "I think it's best if I go," he whispered.

Jack could feel his heart beating furiously inside his chest and knew he had to say something or risk losing Ianto forever. That was something he was in no way near ready for. "I can't die," Jack blurted out suddenly when Ianto turned towards the ladder and grasped it.

Ianto grip remained on the ladder but he did turn his head in Jack's direction. "What?"

"I can't die," repeated Jack anxiously. "Well I can die I just don't stay dead. Something happened to me a long time ago while I was traveling with the Doctor."

By now Ianto had removed his hands away from the ladder but he made no attempt to move closer to Jack. "You've traveled with the Doctor? But I thought he was an enemy of Torchwood.

Jack nodded. "He was," he stated, slipping one hand behind his neck. "To Torchwood One, but I always knew the truth. The Doctor protects the Earth from dangers they don't know about."

"I know," replied Ianto softly. "He was there during the battle with the Cyberman and Daleks. I saw him running down one of the corridors with a blond woman before everything went to hell."

"Her name was Rose. She died in the battle as well." Jack stayed quiet for a moment as he remembered Rose and how much she meant to him before speaking again. "Anyway, back to the not dying thing," he replied as he sat down on his bed. "You see, I met the Doctor a long time ago when he and Rose were traveling together and I was passing the time as a conman."

Ianto took a seat next to Jack. "You were a conman?" he asked, surprised by the confession.

Jack grinned. "Yeah. Had to do something after running away from the Time Agency."

"Time Agency. I am so very confused."

"You wanted to know about my past."

Ianto nodded and smirked slightly. "You are right about that. Please continue."

So Jack did. "At first the Doctor was leery of me, unsure if he could trust a conman on the run but ultimately the three of us became fast friends. The Doctor, me and Rose, and if I'm being honest then I should tell you that I had a little crush on both of them."

"Of course you did," snickered Ianto, use to Jack's very active avant garde imagination.

Jack rolled his eyes but smiled. "Anyway, one day we were attacked by the Daleks on what they called the Game Station on Satellite Five and I was killed. Rose, bless her heart did something, brought me back and since then I have died so many times I lost count."

"That would explain Torchwood One's record of you," nodded Ianto, in complete understanding. "Why you have a file that dates back all the way to WWII but you don't look a day over thirty."

"I've been around for a lot longer than that," Jack smiled sadly. "When I first realized what had happened, I tried to use my vortex manipulator to jump to the 21st century as a way to find the Doctor."

"What happened to the Doctor?" asked Ianto.

Jack shrugged. "He left me there, accidentally or on purpose, I have no idea which, but I was alone for a long time. I needed to find him but I messed up, got the dates wrong and landed in 1869 instead of 1999. I tried to fix my mistake but my manipulator had burnt out and I had nothing to fix it with. I had no choice but to stay and wait."

"What did you do during that time?" Ianto felt like a nuisance for asking Jack so many questions but he needed to know about the man he was taking to bed every night. If only to make their connection stronger.

"Drank heavily and ranted about the Doctor. My talk about him was the reason I was discovered by Torchwood. At first all they wanted was information about the Doctor but after being restrained using various methods they then discovered I couldn't die."

Reaching over he grabbed Jack's hand and held it in his own. "Oh, Jack."

"And suddenly I became a commodity for Torchwood Three," continued Jack. "I mean, why send normal people into battle when you could send in a man who couldn't die." He paused for a moment, lying down on his back and bringing Ianto down with him. "Back then I guess I really didn't care," he began again. "They paid me for my time and I got knowledge on the Doctor's whereabouts when he was spotted again. I found both to be a very expressive advantage."

"But they used you," whispered Ianto as he lay against Jack's chest.

Jack could only nod in agreement. "They did, but eventually they died and I got to keep my secret again. It hasn't been easy, getting hurt in the field only to convince your team members or fellow soldiers that they didn't see what they thought they saw."

"Must have been hard."

"Very, but I think I've done a very good job at seeing as how you're the only one who knows."

"What?" Ianto gasped, raising his head slightly. "You can't be serious." Jack didn't do anything but smile softly at Ianto. "But Suzie, Owen, Tosh, they all have years on me and you're saying they don't know." When Jack shook his head and continued to smile, Ianto finally let the confession sink in. "Then why are you telling me?"

"Because I trust you," replied Jack as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Reaching up, he gently placed cupped Ianto's cheek with his hands and peered into his eyes. "Ianto, one day I'm hoping to find the Doctor and I'm gonna ask him if he can fix me because I don't want to want to live forever and keep losing everyone I care about. And when that day comes I'm going to need you to trust me."

"Okay," was Ianto's honest response, leaning down and kissing Jack softly on the lips. "I trust you," he stated when they pulled apart.

"Good," smiled Jack as Ianto resumed his spot back on his chest. "But in the meantime I am going to keep an eye on Suzie. I still believe that you're wrong about her but I trust your instincts and believe that they're worth listening to. If she is hiding something then I will deal with her accordingly."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The burden lifted, Ianto let out a content sigh and Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Jack."

"Yeah," answered Jack, pausing briefly.

"I really hope I'm wrong about Suzie," Ianto replied genuinely, looking up at Jack who smiled back at him.

"Me too."

* * *

Suzie cursed silently as she replayed the conversation over in her head. She had only caught the last end of it, hearing Jack say that he would keep an eye out on her. For the first part of the conversation the bug she had placed in the room had fizzled out for some unknown reason but she had still heard enough. She knew it was a good idea to place listening devices in Jack's room the moment he let on that he and Ianto were together but Suzie didn't worry about it much. Jack had been her boss, lover, and friend first. Surely he wouldn't be easily swayed by Ianto's accusations but she had once again been proven wrong.

Now she knew that she would have another pair of eyes on her, watching her, making it harder for her to accomplish what she set out to do. That's when she came to the conclusion that she had to get Ianto out of the way and the only way she could do that was death. Ianto's death.

* * *

Yay there was some fluff, a little angst, and a whole lotta drama coming from Suzie. Don't worry, she's gonna get worse so Ianto better watch his back. Seriously. Thanks for reading and until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary:** So how much you love me right now. I know I let down this week by not giving you an update so I decided that I should totally give you two tonight. No, it doesn't make up for the fact that I'm late but hopefully it will make you happier that I posted. Up next, more drama. Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

The next few days for Torchwood were quiet ones. The rift was stable, showing no signs of spiking for the next few days. That gave each member time to finish special projects they were working on or finally finish their paperwork. Ianto was putting the final touches on the archives which had turned out to a very hefty project. He had in fact found himself wanting to pull his hair out during the initial sorting of the mess but once he was able to see the floor again the hate for the room slowly diminished. Now the only thing he had to worry about was teaching the team the filing system so they when they entered the room they wouldn't make a mess of things. Ianto already had a feeling that the only person who would even listen to do what he asked correctly was Tosh. The rest he was sure would leave the room looking like a war zone if he left them to their own devices.

After filing away a few more artifacts and paperwork Ianto glanced down at his watch and realized that it was time for lunch. Making his way upstairs, he walked to the kitchen and started the coffee machine. That way the team could have coffee to tide them over until he came back with lunch.

"Oh, hey, Ianto."

Ianto turned around to see Suzie standing behind him, a smile on her face. "Hello, Suzie," he replied as he straightened his tie. "I'm glad you're here. I was just about to come and find out what you guys wanted for lunch."

"Oh you don't need to worry about that."

"I don't?"

"No," she said her smile now wildly suspicious. "I already got lunch for the entire team. Curry. You do like curry don't you?"

"Yes, I do and thank you for doing that. You didn't have to."

"Anything for the team, right? Besides, it's not fair for you to get stuck with all the cleaning and fetching when we're all capable of doing it ourselves."

Ianto shrugged. "I don't mind, it's my job."

"No," she countered. "You're job was to sort out the archives which you've done. That's the only reason you were hired," she replied sharply. "Not to be a maid to all of us or play babysitter."

He would have been grateful about the statement if he had come from anyone besides Suzie. Instead he felt as if she was putting on a show. Just being nice to him because she knew he was suspicious of her. If that was the case he didn't want to play into her hand. "Thanks, I'll remember that," he replied smiling slightly. "I'll be up in a few, just let me get a few drinks."

Suzie smiled back as she turned to walk away.

Ianto let out a breath and turned to the refrigerator to grab a few sodas and placing them on a tray along with cups filled with ice. Once he had everything he needed he made his way to the conference room where he found the team sitting around the table, eating hungrily and talking about nothing in particular. He placed the tray of soft drinks in the middle of the table and everyone immediately reached for one.

"Thanks, Ianto," smiled Tosh as she opened her can and poured some into her glass.

"Yeah, thanks," Suzie replied, handing Ianto a carton of food. "Chicken, right?"

"Yes, thank you," Ianto answered as he sat down next to Jack. He ate his food quietly, listening to his teammates talk around him while he hardly said a word.

"Oy, what's wrong mate?"

Ianto looked up, surprised to see that it was Owen speaking to him. "Um, nothing."

"Are you sure, Ianto?" asked Tosh. "You seem a bit sad."

"Not sad," replied Ianto. "Just wondering what I'm going to do around here now that the archives are in order."

"What about the tourist shop you set up as part of our cover. Isn't that coming along?" asked Tosh.

"That's turning out quite well; in fact it's actually starting to turn a profit."

Jack turned to Ianto and smiled. "See."

"But still," sighed Ianto "I can't spend all my time in the tourist office, especially when I need to feed the weevils and make coffee. Plus it would get boring rather quickly."

"I guess I could give you a more active role, you know, to keep you from becoming to bored. How would you like to become a field agent?"

All four of them looked at Jack in shock. Ianto recovered first. "Jack, are you sure that's wise?"

Jack placed a comforting hand on Ianto's shoulder. "What?" he shrugged as he looked around at his team. "You saw how he took out that weevil," he reminded them. "Three shots to the chest."

"Yes, but that was at close range. That's all I was trained for."

"Well that's more that what they had when they first started," replied Jack, pointing to the other three members at the table. "You seem to forget that before Owen was recruited he was a doctor working in the AE. In case you're wondering, they don't offer 'Guns and Bullets 101' in Med School."

Ianto remained silent for a few moments, biting his bottom lip pensively, before letting out a soft sigh. "Well I guess you're right about that."

Jack smiled as he patted Ianto on the shoulder. "I know I am and besides, it would be nice to have another field agent. Help the rift load a bit. And if you want," he leaned over seductively, "I can teach you everything you need to know."

"Yeah, that's just what we need. The two of you running around naked with your pistols hanging out," scoffed Owen as he took another bite of food.

"Owen," hissed Tosh.

"What?" Owen answered mouth full of food. "It's not like you weren't thinking it."

Ianto shook his head, biting back a smirk. "How about I think about the field training and get back to you."

"Okay," shrugged Jack. "Whatever you want."

"In the meantime perhaps you can help me with a side project I'm working on," suggested Tosh.

"What side project?"

"Well," Tosh began shyly, "I can't go into specifics yet because I'm still working out the kinks but I will say that if I'm successful it would be a great asset for the team as well as the Hub."

To say he was flattered would have been an understatement. Outside of Jack he had always felt the closest to Tosh and the fact that she wanted his help on a project made his face flush. "That sounds fascinating, but why would you want my help."

"Because you have one of the brightest minds I've ever met and I think we could succeed if we did this together," she replied without pause.

"No need for any more convincing; I'm in."

Tosh looked extremely pleased. "Great," she nodded. "What do you say after lunch I'll show you what I have so far."

"Sounds lovely."

* * *

A half hour later lunch was over and it was time for everyone to get back to work. Jack was surprised when he rose to go to his office to find Ianto right behind him. He didn't say anything, waiting until the two of them were inside him office with the door closed before speaking. "Ianto, I thought you were going to be working with Tosh for the rest of the day."

"I am," confirmed Ianto with a node. "But before I did I wanted to tell you something."

"What?"

"Thank-you."

"What for?"

"For convincing me join the team," Ianto informed him, sighing softly. "After losing Lisa and everyone at Canary Wharf I thought that maybe I was destined to be alone. That it was the world's way of telling me that not everyone gets to be happy, but then the universe brought me you. And because of it I have a job that I love and friends and you and I just...thank you," he finished with a shaky breath. He didn't have a chance to say anything else when he suddenly had Jack in his arms.

Jack squeezed Ianto tightly, gently brushing the back of his neck with his hand. "Well, I guess there's only one thing I can say to that. You're welcome, but, Ianto, I think you should know you weren't the only one that was saved because of that fateful meeting in the park."

Ianto smiled. "Good to know," he replied, kissing Jack softly. "Well I'm off, those schematics aren't gonna show themselves."

* * *

The day wore on, the rift remaining quiet leaving the team with nothing to do but paperwork. Ianto seemed to be the only one thrilled by the aspect for the simple fact that he found himself with a terrible headache. A faint throbbing at first, the pain escalated to a point where it even hurt to breath. Ianto was happy he was in his haven of the archives where he wouldn't be disturbed. He was so busy with paperwork that he didn't hear Jack come in with news about another stabbing victim.

"Ianto, there's been another murder." Jack immediately saw the ill state of his lover and rushed to his side, hand pressed against his forehead. "Ianto, are you alright and I want the truth."

Ianto didn't even have it in him to lie. "Alright, truth is I have a bit of headache but it's nothing to worry about," he answered, pushing Jack's hand away.

"Are you sure that's it?"

"Well, I may be a bit nauseous," admitted Ianto. "But it could be from the curry."

"Why don't you go home and rest?"

"But what about the body."

Jack shrugged. "We'll take care of the body, you take care of yourself."

"If you're sure-"

"I am. Besides," began Jack as he stood up. "If you are coming down with something I don't want to risk the others getting sick."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Sir."

"I know," smirked Jack, slipping on his coat and giving Ianto a peck on the cheek. "Go home, rest, and I'll be by later, I promise."

"Okay," Ianto replied as Jack walked out of the office and joined the rest of the team.

* * *

True to his word, a few hours after discovering the body Jack walked into Ianto's flat to find the man asleep on the sofa. Carefully he scooped Ianto into his arms and carried him to the bedroom, laying him on the bed. Jack then removed his clothing and got into the bed next to Ianto.

"I tried to wait up for you," mumbled Ianto, curling up against Jack.

Jack let out a muffled chuckle. "I thought I told you to get some rest."

"I did. I stayed on the sofa, not moving, waiting for you to come back," replied Ianto. "How was it"

"Same as always," Jack said, running his hand across Ianto's back. "Devastating."

"It always is."

"Side note though, we were spotted using the glove. A police officer, I think, was watching us from the roof of a building. I spotted her."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. She took off before I had a real chance to speak with her."

Ianto let out a tired sigh. Someone finding out about Torchwood and what they did could be dangerous for everyone. "You really think she saw something/" asked Ianto.

Jack shrugged. "Don't know but I have this feeling we haven't seen the last of her."

"That's just what we need."

"Come on, let's go to sleep now," said Jack as he pulled Ianto closer. "We can talk about this more in the morning if you want but right now I just want to sleep."

"Sounds great, best idea you've had all day."

* * *

If you guessed it yes Jack was talking about Gwen so yes. Also, if you wondering if Suzie did something to Ianto's food, maybe yes, maybe no. Just have to leave you in suspense. Anyways, thanks for reading. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary:** I'm late, I'm late, I am so late with this update and I wish I could give you an excuse but the truth is this week is already sucking terribly. Not to mention school, no matter how old you get, will always kick ass. And no, I don't mean in a good way. I may be learning on how to be a very awesome paralegal but it doesn't make the classes any less draining. Doesn't matter, I'm here now with an update so hopefully that will make up for being absent for a few days. Before you read you need to know two things. First, this story only has three chapters left. Yes my friends it will be coming to an end sooner that I realized. Second, just want to say thanks to all the reviews I've received for this story. You guys are stellar and I love ya. Now with that being said go read. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen  
**

* * *

"You were definitely made last night," announced Ianto as he walked into Jack's office with a hot cup of coffee.

Jack eagerly grabbed the mug. "Why do you say that?" he asked, taking a sip.

"Because I've hacked into the police department's database and someone has been looking up everything they can on Torchwood, especially you."

"What makes you think it's her?"

"Just a hunch," Ianto stated. "And that's not even the worse thing. There's been a weevil spotting inside the hospital."

"What's so bad about that?"

"Nothing, just thought you should know that you're on weevil duty today."

Letting out a sigh, Jack put the mug down and stood up. "You think going by myself would be dangerous."

"I think that you should take backup with you just in case it's too much for you to handle. Also, in case P.C Cooper finds out exactly who you are." Jack raised a curious eyebrow causing Ianto to huff. "And before you ask, yes I ran everyone who was called to the scene last night and she fit your description," replied Ianto, crossing his arms. "One can never be too careful."

"Thanks for the info," Jack replied sincerely as put down his mug and slipped on his coat.

"You're welcome, sir."

"And tell Owen and Tosh I'll need their help handling the weevil."

"Will do," smiled Ianto, giving Jack a quick peck on the cheek.

* * *

Nearly two hours later Jack, Owen and Tosh arrived back at the Hub with an unconscious weevil and a few scratches, but otherwise okay. Ever since Ianto learned of Jack's secret he would worry when his boyfriend went out alone. But he'd then be reminded that Jack was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"How was it?"

"I think our problem just got bigger. Cooper was at the hospital and she followed me through the corridors, even though they were sealed off." Jack turned to give Ianto a smile. "Nice cover story by the way."

"Thank-you and what happened?"

"Nothing unless you count the fact that she came face to face with the weevil, thought it was wearing a mask, and the porter was bitten in front of her. We had to retreat but luckily we were able to subdue the weevil."

"Thank heavens for that," Ianto sighed happily as he finished helping Jack place the weevil in the vault. Once it was inside, they walked out, Ianto locking the door and wrapping his arms around Jack's waist. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Placing a chaste kiss on top of Ianto's head, he let out a breath. "I'm fine," he replied softly.

"You think she'll be back."

Jack chuckled. "Oh, I have no doubt about that. She got in her car and chased us through the streets but I lost her. Hopefully."

"Well, if I know one thing it's that the Welsh are very curious and it won't be long before she finds a way inside."

"And if she tries."

Ianto pulled away, smirking. "Then we let her in."

* * *

Jack told the rest of the team of Ianto's plan. They too had noticed the policewoman surveying the area but quickly dismissed her. That was until Jack informed them that she had followed him to the hospital. Everyone agreed with the plan except for one person.

"And you want us to just let her in!" shrieked Owen as he glared at his teammates. "Are you insane?"

"Well I think it's a rather genius idea," said Tosh with a smile. "If we unmask ourselves then maybe she won't be curious anymore."

"I agree," nodded Suzie shrugging. "Besides, it's not as if we're going to let her keep her memories. Once it's done Jack will slip her some Retcon and then she'll forget all about us and Torchwood."

"See win, win," finished Jack.

"Alright, so we let her in. How exactly are we gonna lure her in?"

Ianto gave the team a mischievous smirk. "Easy. Owen, you're gonna order a pizza."

It worked and sometime later Gwen, dressed as a pizza delivery girl, was let into the tourist office and down into the Hub by Ianto who desperately tried to keep the smirk off his face. The team tried to keep straight faces when Gwen entered but were unable to and quickly found themselves smiling and laughing. After some witty banter,, including Jack trying to make a porn reference, Jack offered to give Gwen a tour around the Hub. Before the tour Gwen asked an assortment of questions and everyone did their best to answer them as discretely as possible. When hearing the information about the dead porter and the cover-story both Tosh and Ianto created Gwen looked at them with a mixture of shock and disgust. Ianto didn't mind. They did what was necessary and it was something Gwen couldn't understand.

After a trip down to the vaults so Gwen could see the weevil that killed the porter, Jack brought her back up and introduced her to the team. Ianto rolled his eyes when Jack introduced him but he couldn't help the smile that formed when Jack mentioned how good he looked in a suit. Ianto immediately replied back with a 'Careful, that's harassment, sir' causing Jack to grin at him mischievously and Ianto to roll his eyes again. The team didn't mind the introductions since they knew that Jack was going to Retcon her as soon as he was given the opportunity. Finally the two disappeared outside using the invisible rift while the rest of the team prepared to go home.

Ianto was making his way through the Hub, cleaning out the trash-bins when he noticed one of Suzie's desk drawers was open. He moved to close it but quickly realized that something was blocking it. Pulling it out he saw what was keeping it from closing, a knife. A very strange looking knife covered with streaks of-

'Blood,' he thought to himself as he continued examining the knife sitting inside Suzie's desk drawer. He hadn't seen it before but if it was in Suzie's desk with streaks of dry blood on the blade he knew his teammate had done something horrible. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a cotton swab, scraping it against the dried blood and wrapping the swab in his handkerchief.

Making sure he wasn't seen, he finished emptying the bin and continuing on his way. Once he was done he then made his way to Owen's lab where the young man was preparing to leave.

"What do you want, Tea-boy?" sneered Owen as he slipped on his jacket.

"Owen, I was wondering if you could run this and see if you can get a DNA sample," Ianto asked as he unfolded his handkerchief and showed the doctor the cotton swab.

"It's rather small. Can I ask why you need it?"

"I'd rather not say because it's really private. So private that I would really appreciate if you didn't even look at the results."

Owen was confused and slightly curious about the request but he didn't have time to spare for questioning so he nodded his head. "Alright, mate, I'll do it right now before I go and you can look at the results first thing in the morning, but you owe me."

"Special blend coffee for a week."

"Two weeks and you have yourself a deal," replied Owen as he took the swab from Ianto's hand. "You'll have your results in the morning."

"Thanks."

* * *

Suzie came back to her desk from the bathroom and instantly knew that something was different. Taking in a deep breath she opened her desk drawer and saw that the knife was still there. She sighed happily, content that her secret was still safe when she suddenly looked up to see Ianto coming up from Owen's lab. Waiting until he was out of sight, she made her way to the lab. She found Owen just as he was placing the sample into one of his machines.

"What were you and Ianto doing down here?" she immediately asked him.

He turned to her with a sneer. "Why do you care?" he growled. "I thought you didn't like him."

Suzie shrugged nonchalantly. "I never said I didn't like him. I said he doesn't like me which makes it hard for me to like him."

"Still don't see why you care," replied Owen, rolling his eyes.

"I'm just concerned about him that's all. He normally goes out of his way to avoid your lab and yet he was just coming from it. Not to mention he looked nervous and frightened," she lied convincingly.

He studied her for a moment before responding. "Fine," he began. "If you must know he gave me a cotton swab covered in dried blood. Don't really know why he carries swabs in his pockets but I've always figured he was a weird one."

"And why does he want you to test it?"

"Again, don't know and really don't care. The only thing that I do care about is that I'm getting special blend coffee for this favor."

"Wow, special blend."

"With special beans. My mouth's watering just thinking about it. Anyways, I'm off soon. Care to join me for a pint."

"No, I have things to do tonight that certainly don't involve Dr. Owen Harper."

"Your loss then sweetheart," he winked, turning back around to finish what he was doing and leaving Suzie to her own thoughts.

Suzie walked away, eyes wide and thoughts jumbled. He found the knife. He knew about the knife and the blood. The blood of the last victim that she had used the knife on. Before, she had stayed ahead of everyone, careful to keep her secret from the entire team but now it seemed that Ianto was close to figuring out the truth. No, she couldn't let that happen. It was time to get rid of Ianto once and for all.

* * *

More Suzie drama and if you're wondering if she's about to explode the answer is yes, yes she is. Also made the idea for Gwen to be let inside the Hub Ianto's idea. Why? Because I wanted it that way and please, it would so be something he would say if the writers gave him more material. I'm just saying. Well really need to go and finish my homework for class tomorrow so until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary:** I'm here once again bringing my lovely readers another update. School has been less than pleasant and I spent most of the weekend reading, writing, and taking quizzes online hence no update. But luckily today was good enough for me to get this chapter out. Hopefully this week won't be as hectic as last week and I'll be able to get the last two out this week. Yes, only two more chapters left in this story. I know, it feels like it was yesterday when I finally got around to posting this story and now it's almost over. Just want to say thanks to everyone who's been with me every step of the way. You guys rock steady. Well enough with the compliments I'm going to let you read. Enjoy!'

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

* * *

**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

Ianto arrived at the Hub earlier than usual, leaving Jack back in his apartment asleep. It had been a long night for the both of them with Jack's retelling the events of what happened between him and Gwen Cooper and everything she said to him.

"You should have seen the way she looked at me, Ianto." Jack ran a hand over his face then continued. "She said that we should work together, find out who's been out there killing all those people, and I told her it wasn't our problem, and that we were just using the bodies to test the glove. She called me a bastard after she realized I drugged her."

"Jack, you said what you had to."

"I know but I can't help thinking that maybe she's right. Why is what we do so much more important than what she does. Who's to say that we couldn't do more to help the human race."

Walking up behind Jack, Ianto slipped his arms around Jack's waist. "Well, Jack," he began. "If you feel this way then maybe you should do something about it."

"And what exactly would that be?"

Ianto shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we do need a liaison between us and the police. Someone that can help us with our cases and not make the entire department hate us. And if we help them put away a killer or two in the process that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Would it?"

Jack turned his head and Ianto a soft smile. "See, now when you say it, it doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"I'll tell you what. How about you go back to the flat and sleep on it and I'll stay here to finish dealing with Gwen."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," smiled Ianto, hugging Jack closely. "And eat something while you're at it. It's been a long day."

Jack didn't argue, leaving the Hub and Ianto, who stayed behind to hack into Gwen's computer and erase all information pertaining to Torchwood. Afterwards he cleaned up a bit before going home to find Jack already asleep on the sofa. He took out his phone and took a picture of his sleeping partner before helping him to bed and making food for himself.

* * *

Two hours later, Ianto went to bed but found it hard to sleep so he spent the majority of his night doing paperwork he brought from the Hub while Jack slept on. He did manage to get a few hours of sleep but somehow it wasn't enough and soon found himself sneaking out of the apartment and going to work.

The Hub was empty, that was something Ianto was thankful for as he made his way down to Owen's lab. True to his word, Owen had placed the results in a folder and laid them on the desk. Nervously, he picked up the folder and opened it.

**_Inconclusive_**

"Dammit," he hissed as he ran his fingers through his hair. There hadn't been enough blood to make a match so Ianto didn't know where or who it came from. Sighing, he made his way down to the archives to see if he could find the knife in the records.

* * *

"Ianto, there you are."

Ianto looked up to see Jack standing in front of him, frown on his face. Confused, he looked down at his watch and realized that almost three hours had passed since he arrived at the Hub. He had been so busy looking for the artifact without luck, that he hadn't even heard anyone enter.

"I've been looking for you ever since you snuck off this morning."

"I did not sneak off, Jack," Ianto replied. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to come to work early and...archive."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You needed the rest and I didn't want to bother you."

Jack smiled and sat on the corner of Ianto's desk. "My dearest Ianto, always looking out for my best interest."

Ianto stood up, walked around the desk until he was standing in front of Jack. Wrapping his arms around Jack's neck, he leaned forward and gave him a passionate kiss. "If I don't, who will?" grinned Ianto after they pulled apart.

Jack continued to smile, resting his head in the crook of Ianto's neck and letting his love flow through him. It was one of things he cherished most about Ianto. The fact that no matter how Jack was feeling, Ianto was always there with the right thing to say. "No one will ever be able to take your place," he said suddenly as he looked up and into Ianto's eyes. "I hope you know what."

"I do, but thanks for saying it anyway."

"Anytime," Jack replied with another kiss.

"Did you give any thought to what we talked about?"

"I did and I realized that Suzie mentioned the same thing a while back," stated Jack. "So that means that if you both feel that way about having a liaison then maybe it's not such a bad idea."

Ianto tried not to flinch at the mention of Suzie's giving Jack ideas. "Well, whatever you decide I'm behind you 100 percent," he replied with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks," smiled Jack, giving Ianto a hug. "Now, I'm gonna let you get back to work. See you later."

"I'll be up soon with some coffee, 'kay?"

"That sounds like a plan," winked Jack and after one final kiss, hopped off the desk and out of the archives.

Ianto looked down at the files in front of him and sighed. He was no closer to finding out the truth than he was a few hours ago and it was beginning to frustrate him. Feeling he was needed elsewhere, he closed all the open folders and made his way to the kitchen. Perhaps some coffee would help.

Making his rounds, his final stop was Owen's lab where he found the doctor performing an autopsy on a dead weevil.

When Owen saw Ianto enter the room with his tray, he immediately pulled off his gloves and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "I see the folder wasn't on my desk when I got in this morning."

"Yeah, I came by and got it when I arrived."

"And."

"The sample size was too small so the results were inconclusive."

"Damn, that sucks," frowned Owen as dried his hands and sat down. "I still get the coffee for the next two weeks right."

Ianto rolled his eyes but smirked as he placed the coffee on Owen's desk. "Of course, Owen. You did, after all, hold up your end of the deal."

Taking a sip from the mug, he let out a satisfied sigh and smiled. "Special blend," he whispered to himself as he took another sip. "If you don't mind me being nosy, but where exactly did you get that sample from and why were you testing it?"

"I found it on an alien artifact," lied Ianto quickly. "I was worried that it might be connected to an old case so I thought I would have it tested."

"Well I'm sorry it didn't give you the answers you wanted."

"Yeah, me too," Ianto murmured as he turned to leave.

* * *

The day dragged on, everyone going about their regular duties. Everyone, that is, except for Suzie who didn't show up for work that morning. It was nearing lunch time and Ianto was taking orders.

"So, Tosh, what will you be having for lunch today?"

She looked up momentarily before replying. "A salad would be nice."

"Rift's been quiet today."

"I know. I would be completely bored if Jack hadn't asked me to keep track of P.C Cooper and so far she hasn't done anything remotely related to Torchwood. I think the Retcon worked."

"That's good, that it worked." Ianto paused for a moment, about to walk away when he stopped. "Hey, have you heard from Suzie?" he asked in what he hoped wasn't a suspicious manner.

Tosh shook her head. "No, but I heard from Jack that she called in sick. Food poisoning."

He couldn't believe that Suzie had actually called in sick. Since his arrival at Torchwood Three he had never seen her take a day off. Not even when she came down with a horrible cold and refused to go home and rest. Ianto had spent the entire week disinfecting everything in the Hub, including Suzie, to keep the germs from spreading to someone else. Mainly him. No, Suzie had lied about being sick and Ianto had a good reason as to why. "Is she okay?" he asked, feigning concern.

"I suppose," shrugged Tosh as she began typing once more. "It's probably one of those twenty-four hour bugs. Should be okay by tomorrow."

"That's good," nodded Ianto. "I'll be back with that salad."

"Okay, thanks."

Slipping on his coat, he made his way back through the tourist office entrance and outside. The team had decided on an assortment of dishes and instead of having it all delivered Ianto thought it would be a good idea to pick it up himself. The restaurants weren't far away and it would give him a great opportunity to think about Suzie and what exactly it was that she was up to.

He didn't believe for one minute that she was sick but there wasn't any evidence to prove otherwise. And evidence was what he needed if he wanted Jack completely on his side. As he was walking he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. Stopping suddenly, he turned and looked all around him but couldn't see anything suspicious. Letting out a quick breath, he starting walking again and turned the corner.

* * *

She had been sitting outside the Hub, watching from across the street in a car that didn't belong to her. After realizing that she was about to be caught, everything that she had done was about to come to light, Suzie decided it was time to take action. Tonight was going to be the end of it all and she was going to take down not only Jack but Ianto as well. It had to be done if she wanted to live.

Finally she saw him coming out of the tourist office, probably off to get lunch. Getting out of the car, she pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head and began following him. Making sure to keep her distance, she crept up closer behind him and pulled the small needle out of her pocket. The needle had been laced with an untraceable poison that would render Ianto dead in a few hours. Suzie knew Jack wouldn't be fooled but she would take care of him as well.

Just as she was about to strike, Ianto stopped suddenly and turned around. Having no other choice she quickly turned around and made her way to the other side of the street. Looking over her shoulder, she watched him turn the corner and knew she couldn't risk following him again after almost being caught.

"Dammit," she growled to herself once she was safely back in her car. Now it was time to come up with a new plan and this time she wouldn't fail. "You're going down, Ianto Jones, if it's the last thing I do," Suzie whispered to herself as she drove off.

* * *

Gwen Cooper sat at her computer desk, staring down at the paperwork she was supposed to be finishing. Instead she found herself unable to concentrate. It was a little after eight and she was already tired. She didn't know why, she had gotten plenty of sleep the night before even though she couldn't remember exactly what she did a few hours prior. Her and Rhys were getting along fine, better than fine, and each day she was finding new things she loved about her job. Still, every time she closed her eyes images flashed through her mind. Images of people and things she was certain she'd never seen before. One image was an oddly shaped knife, the other a very handsome man in a long coat.

"What a weird looking murder weapon."

Gwen looked up to find Andy, her partner of nearly two years, standing over her shoulder staring down at her. Looking back down at her paper she realized that she had sketched the knife on her paperwork. "Yeah, it is."

"Case?" he asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "At least, I don't think so. It's just something that I can't get out of my mind and I don't know why."

"Do you want to?"

"Yeah, I do," stated Gwen after a moment.

"Hmm," hummed Andy as he sat down at his desk. "Have you run the image through the computer databases? You might come up with something."

"It's probably not important."

"If it's important to you then it's important."

She thought about it for a second before looking over at him. "You really think I should?"

Andy turned to her with a smile. "Yeah, I do."

"I'll think about it." Looking back down at the image, she pushed it to the side before pulling out another form. Gwen was going to do whatever it took to get through the rest of her shift and then afterward-she was going to figure out where exactly the knife came from.

* * *

True to her word Gwen finished her paperwork as quickly as possible and was given permission to leave early. But, instead of going home she went down to the medical examiner's office for a chat. The red-head in charge gave her a warm smile just as she was pushing a body into one of the drawers. "P.C Cooper," she replied. "What brings you by?"

"You know my name."

She nodded. "I've seen you around and I never forget a face."

"I hope I'm not intruding or anything but I need to ask you a few questions, Dr. Wells."

"Please, call me Emily," the doctor insisted, throwing her gloves in the trash and walking over to Gwen. "Can I ask what you're questions are about?"

"A case," stated Gwen as she pulled the drawing out of her pocket and handed it to the doctor. "Have you ever seen a knife like this before."

Emily stared at the paper in her hand and hummed. "Well isn't this interesting," she whispered softly.

"What is?"

"Before I say anything may I ask to why you're curious about this case."

"To be honest I couldn't tell you," Gwen replied shrugging her shoulders. "I just have this feeling, deep down, that this knife is the reason someone is dead and it's my duty to find out why and who. Can you tell me anything?"

"There's something but I'm not sure how important it is."

"I'll take anything you can give me."

Leaning against the autopsy table Emily crossed her arms. "I did have a victim come in about three weeks ago, stabbed in the chest outside of a nightclub," she began. "From the moment I brought the body in and began the autopsy nothing added up. Then, just before the body was taken I determined that the murder weapon used had a ridged blade just like one you drew," stated Emily, pointing at the picture. "It was made of an unidentified metal that was slightly radioactive. I ran it through every database I could and didn't find a single match. That led me to conclude that the weapon used is one of kind. Sorry," she finished with a disappointed shrug as she handed the drawing back to Gwen.

Gwen gasped. "What did you mean that the body was taken?" she asked stumped.

"I mean it was here one night and when I came back the next day it was gone. Along with all my files and the autopsy report."

"Did you report it?"

"Of course I did," sneered Emily, rolling her eyes. "But the higher-ups spun some lie about the body being examined by a more experienced examiner. I don't know why they assume I'm too stupid to connect the dots."

"Which are?"

Emily scoffed. "Come on, a body being taken. Files being wiped and a knife that doesn't exist anywhere on Earth. That has Torchwood written all over it."

At the mention of the name Gwen let out a gasp as memories she didn't know she had began flooding her mind. Memories about the third victim, the weevil attack in the hospital, the tour of the Hub. Even the drink Jack insisted on buying her at the bar. Gwen now realized why the Captain had been more than persistent. And finally, a woman with dark curly hair and wearing a welding mask and next to her, a knife. The sudden burst of memories sent a sharp pain pounding in her head. "I gotta go," hissed Gwen, grabbing her head and shoving the paper back in her pocket.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for the help." Gwen managed to reply as she turned to leave. She had somewhere she needed to be.

* * *

So I gave you more Gwen, please don't hate me. I was worried that having Gwen would turn people off of the story but so far people have liked the way I've written her. Yay! As for Suzie, do not worry, she's not done yet. I don't want to spoil it for you but there is a final confrontation with Suzie and Ianto that you all have been dying for. Don't want to give any more away so until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary:** Since today as been a very stressful day I have decided that nothing will make me feel better than to upload the next chapter of this story. Yes I know, once I do this that will mean there will only be one chapter left before this story is complete. I know, it's alot to take in but they've all got to end sometime. I just want to thanke everyone who has read and favorited along the way. You guys really mean a lot to me. Well don't want to hold you up any longer so please read. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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**Chapter Sixteen**

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Racing to his flat, Ianto expected to find his sister who had texted him twenty minutes earlier desperately needing to talk to him. She stated that she was in trouble and Ianto didn't waste any time informing Tosh that he was leaving and possibly not coming back. Opening the door he instead found someone else standing in his living room, gun drawn, and it wasn't his sister Rhia. "Suzie," he drawled, slowly closing the door behind him and frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"What?" she replied innocently as she walked closer to him. She knew Ianto didn't carry a gun outside of the Hub so she didn't have to worry about him shooting her. "A co-worker can't come by to see about another co-worker?"

"Not when said co-worker is supposed to be ill. Food poisoning, right?" replied Ianto sarcastically.

Suzie rolled her eyes. "Can we stop pretending now because it's getting rather boring."

"You can do whatever you want as long as it gets you out."

"I wouldn't say things like that if I were you," she sneered as she pressed the barrel of her gun against his side and moved him closer to the middle of the room. "It wouldn't end well for you."

"What do you want?" he asked fearfully.

"I want to know why you were always so against me. From the moment you arrived all you've done is discredit everything I've been trying to do and turn Jack against me."

"It's not my fault you've been breaking the rules to satisfy your own agenda."

Suzie chuckled sinisterly. "What rules, Ianto?" she replied as she took the butt of the gun and knocked him across the head, grinning as he fell to the floor with a thud. "We're Torchwood. We don't abide by anyone's rules but our own. It's what makes us outside the police and beyond the Government."

Ianto clutched the back of his head. "We're supposed to be protecting people, not killing them," he replied, breath shaky.

"No," she smirked, shaking her head. "We're supposed to be looking out for the greater good and if a few people have to die then so be it. It will all work out in the end. Don't you see, that's what I've been doing with the glove. Perfecting it's use, making it more accessible, more helpful. Think of the possibilities of not only the glove but all the artifacts that fall through the rift. I'm trying to create a better world but for some idiotic reason you don't see that," Suzie growl hatefully.

"You're right," hissed Ianto, propping himself up so he could turn and face Suzie. "I don't see how the killing of innocent people helps you create a better world. All it does is create a monster and that's what you are, Suzie, a monster."

"You're just jealous," she spat, kicking Ianto in the stomach twice, all the while keeping her gun pointed at him. "The only reason you tried to turn Jack against me was because you were afraid he would come back to me."

Pain flowed through his body but it didn't stop Ianto from shaking his head disbelievingly. "He loves me."

Rolling her eyes, she chuckled once more. "You keep telling yourself that but deep down you know it's only a matter of time before he leaves you for someone better. He did it to me, he's done it to everyone."

"Still doesn't change what I think of you."

"Dear Ianto," she tsked. "Haven't you realized that I don't care what you think of me."

"You must have. Isn't that the reason you tried to kill me before."

"So you figured it out. It was me who put the virus in the mainframe and set it up to have the weevil escape. You were supposed to be dead but I didn't account for you knowing how to use a weapon."

Ianto smirked. "You wouldn't be the first one to underestimate me."

"You're right. I was so sure I was close to being found out but luckily I covered my tracks well," she replied. "Tosh is brilliant but sometimes she fails to see the obvious."

"And since the weevil didn't finish me off you're going to. Shoot me and add another body to your list."

Suzie shook her head. "I could but I'm not because you see, I'm saving these bullets for someone else. But you're right, you're going to die."

Before Ianto had a chance to respond, Suzie reached out and jabbed a needle into his neck. Suddenly Ianto found it impossible to move as if he was being pinned to the ground by an invisible force. "What have you done to me?"

"Just poisoned you," smiled Suzie jubilantly. "I really did think about shooting you but I wanted your death to be as slow as possible. After all, it is what you deserve for ruining everything I worked so hard for. It won't be long before your entire body shuts down, killing you in the process. You'll be dead in an hour or two."

Ianto tried to move, reach down into his pocket and grab his phone but he couldn't. He was trapped. "You won't get away with this," he whispered bitterly.

"Maybe, maybe not," shrugged Suzie. "But I do know one thing. You won't be around to see it." Then, reaching into Ianto's pocket she pulled out his cell phone and threw it across the room, grinning happily as it smashed against the wall. "Can't have you calling for help now can I."

He lay there, watching as Suzie walked out of his flat and closed the door behind her leaving him alone and dying. Ianto's only thoughts included Jack and his desperate hope that his lover would find him in time.

* * *

Gwen ran. She ran from the parking garage where she placed her car until she was standing in front of the Millennium Center just like she had the day before and that's when she saw her. The woman had her back turned but she knew exactly who she was.

"Hello again," smirked Suzie coyly as she turned to face Gwen. "You were right. You told Jack we should liaise with the police and if it helps, I mentioned it once as well. I was the only one who bothered to read the report." Suzie continued to smirk as she reached into the bag she was holding and pulled out a knife.

Gwen gasped, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the drawing. "It was you," she whispered dazed.

"They got a good likeness, yeah."

"I need to arrest you. I don't care who you are or who you work for, I'm arresting you."

Suzie seemed unfazed by Gwen's comment as she reached into her bag once more and began searching. "I thought you saw it," she replied happily. "And that alone can trip the amnesia, one image, if you're clever. Jack said you were good and I really believed him. Anyway, it's not going to do you much good now, I can't really...and you're gonna put up a fight...so I've got to-" She paused for a moment, putting the knife back into her bag and searching for something else. "There, got it," she sighed, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Gwen. "All better."

"Put it down," stuttered Gwen fearfully as she stared at the gun in the woman's hand.

"You had to come back."

"Put down the gun," repeated Gwen again, taking a step back.

"You're the only one left who can make the connection, well for now anyway. The rest of the team is going to know by morning but it will be too late. I'll be gone, where I don't know, but somewhere far away." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she did her best to keep them from falling. "I have no idea what I'm going to do now because this job was all I had. I loved it, I gave it everything and now I have to run. Bloody hell," chucked Suzie painfully. "How can you do any other job after you've done this one?"

"Please, put down the gun," pleaded Gwen as she tried to find a way out of the situation that didn't end up with someone being hurt. But Suzie continued her rant, making spiteful remarks about Torchwood, aliens, and the planet itself as she kept her gun trained on Gwen. "I don't understand what you mean."

"I wish I could forget."

"Why did you kill those people?" Gwen asked suddenly, hoping it would divert Suzie's attention.

"For the glove," replied Suzie nonchalantly as if it was nothing and she continued speaking, telling Gwen of her actions and the reasons for it. The people had to suffer a violent death. It was the only way the glove would work properly and it had been easy. Stabbing them in the front and positioning herself behind them so they wouldn't see her twice.

"Stay where you are!" Gwen demanded when Suzie took a small step towards her but Suzie gave her a smug smile.

"I thought that if I could get enough practice I could get the glove to work all the time, on anything, beyond two pathetic minutes. And then, maybe, if I could get it to work permanently it would resurrect the dead. But no," she hissed. "You just had to remember and Ianto just wouldn't let go."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Suzie, a woman he trusted with his life was a murderer all because she wanted to prove she could make the glove work. After all he'd done, defending her against Ianto only to find out that his partner's instincts were right and he couldn't help but wonder if it was all his fault. At the mention of Ianto's name, Jack's body stiffened and it took everything he had not to move from the invisible lift.

"You've got to get inside this stuff. Surrender yourself to it if you want to succeed. That's what I did, with the knife and the glove, and that's why the perception filter isn't gonna work on me," she finished with a yell as a loud pop suddenly rang out.

* * *

Gwen looked past Suzie's body and gasped at what she saw. Jack's body sprawled out on the pavement with a bullet hole in his head. She hadn't even seen him come up behind Suzie and now he was dead. "Where did he come from?" she asked, body shaking. "What have you done?"

Suzie said nothing, turning and aiming her gun at Gwen once more.

"Please don't," pleaded Gwen softly.

"I can't let you go," Suzie whispered, shaking her head. "I just can't."

"Please-"

"I've got to. I had to tie up every loose end and it ends with you."

Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to think of a way out. Gwen wondered if she could outrun Suzie, go find help, but quickly dismissed the idea. Suzie worked for a secret government agency. There's no telling what kind of training she's had or what she could do. Gwen didn't have a weapon of her own so she couldn't shoot back. So instead she just stood there, staring Suzie in the eyes and waiting for her to pull the trigger.

"Put the gun down," demanded Jack, glaring heavily at Suzie.

Gwen let out a gasp as she looked to see Jack standing, hole in the middle of his forehead closing, and very much alive.

Suzie slowly lowered her gun and turned around to see Jack standing behind her. Her eyes widened with fear and confusion as she looked at Gwen and then back Jack once more. "You can't...I killed you...you can't." She had shot him. She had shot him in the head and he fell to the ground dead, not breathing and yet there he was glaring at her with heated eyes and demanding she drop her weapon. If she wasn't so shocked about the sudden resurrection she would applaud him. Apparently she hadn't been the only one keeping secrets.

Just the sight of Suzie was making his stomach churn and he wanted nothing more than to get away from her. "Suzie, it's over so just put down the gun and come with me. Now."

But she couldn't do it. She knew if she surrendered she would spend the rest of her life in a cell, or dead and she couldn't let that happen. There was only one way out for her and luckily she was prepared to take it. "I'm sorry, Jack, for everything," whispered Suzie and without hesitation she put the gun under her chin and pulled the trigger.

Jack let out a yell but it was too late. Suzie's body fell to the ground lifeless and there wasn't anything he could do about it. Turning, he found Gwen on her knees with tears running down her face. Jack walked over to her and lifted her up off the ground before placing his arms around her. "It's over," he stated softly, hugging her tightly with no idea that Ianto was alone and close to death.

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Oh no, what have I done. Poor Ianto, dying and the team has no clue. I'm an evil person. And yes, for those true Torchwood fans out there the dialogue between Gwen and Suzie is straight from the pilot episode with a few twinges. This, like Ianto and Jack's first meeting, I wanted to be similar to the show. Don't know why, just did. I really hope you don't hate me for what I've done and I will try to get the last chapter up as soon as I can. Really striving for Labor day since it's known for being the end of summer and that would tie in to this being the end of this fic. Fingers crossed. BTW, who else loved the season premier of Doctor Who. It was AWESOME! Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary:** Ah, finally we have reached the finish line of this story. I said I would do my best to post the final chapter today and I kept my word. Besides, I can study for my Legal class in between classes tomorrow. As long as I know everything before 11:00 am right. Anyways I never thought I could get very far with this fic when I first started out but I kept pushing and didn't allow myself to give up and delete this story like I started to do so many times. I am happy I didn't because the response has been amazing. Seriously, you reviewers are the reason why I write and I am lucky enough to have such kind words floating around my inbox from time to time. Thank you all for sticking with me till this end and for that this final chapter is dedicated to you all. Thank you. Now, without anymore interruptions please enjoy this final chapter. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own this show because if I did Torchwood would have never killed off Ianto or come to America. Just saying.

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**Author's Note:** I am pleased to announce that this fic from here on out will be beta'd by the lovely jerseybelle and Marley who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to fix all my mistakes. You guys are totally awesome and I am so glad for the help.

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**Running From The Past To Embrace The Future**

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**Chapter Seventeen**

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He left her body in the street. It didn't matter. With the perception filter up no one could see Suzie's lifeless body lying on the ground and at the moment Jack didn't want to deal with her. With Gwen in his arms, he walked her over to the lift and the two of them went down to the Hub where Owen and Tosh stood waiting.

Both Tosh and Owen stayed in the Hub on orders from Jack but that didn't keep them from watching on the CCTV and listening to everything.

Tosh ran over to Jack and threw her arms around him. "Jack...did she...was Suzie telling the truth," whispered Tosh tearfully. "Did she really do all those things?"

"I'm afraid so," Jack replied numbly, hugging her tighter. "She was responsible for the killings."

"Bloody fucking hell," growled Owen as he ran his fingers through his hair. "How could she be so fucking stupid?"

"She let herself become possessed by the glove and it's power," stated Jack, voice shaky and upset. "I should have seen it. I should have listened to Ianto more when he voiced his concerns but I didn't because I believed in Suzie."

"We all did," Tosh whispered, letting go of Jack and moving to the side. "And she betrayed us."

Silence engulfed them as they thought about Suzie and what she had done. "We're going to need to move her body," muttered Owen with a sigh, breaking the silence. "I'll get Ianto."

Jack looked around the room and for the first realized that Ianto was nowhere to be found. He found it odd since the younger man was there before he left for his meeting. "Where is Ianto?"

Owen shrugged. "I thought he was down in the archives."

"He's not here," said Tosh, shaking her head. "He said he got a message from his sister saying she needed to talk to him."

"When was this?"

"About an hour ago," replied Tosh nervously as she ran over to her computer. "I'll try tracking him with his mobile." Typing as fast as she could, she put in all the information necessary only for her face to fall forlorn. "Jack, I'm not picking up a signal."

"That's impossible. Ianto always keeps his phone on him."

"Jack, Suzie said I was her last loose end," stated Gwen softly, speaking for the first time since the shooting. "What did she mean by that?"

"I have no idea," his voice trembling with fear. Tugging tightly on his hair, he turned his attention back to Tosh. "Tosh, did he say where he was going?"

"Back to his flat. That's where his sister was waiting for him."

"Oh, bugger," snarled Owen, racing off to his lab and coming back moments later with his medical kit in his hand.

Tosh's eyes widened with fear. "Jack you don't think-"

"I don't know but the both of you are coming with me to Ianto's flat." Jack started to walk off but found himself being stopped.

"I'm coming too," replied Gwen defiantly.

"Fine but only because I don't have time to argue," barked Jack as they all made their way outside and to the SUV.

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He had lost all sense of time as he lay on the floor, body paralyzed from the neck down. Ianto wondered if Jack knew he was in trouble and if he was coming. He wondered if anyone was coming for him or would it be too late. Closing his eyes, he let out a sorrowful sound. Suddenly he could hear the door being pushed open and the next thing he knew Jack was by his side. "I knew you'd come," Ianto whispered happily with shaky, uneven breaths. He did his best to smile, turning to find the rest of the team, plus Gwen surrounding him.

"Ianto," Jack cried, placing Ianto's head in his lap and kissing his forehead. "What happened?"

"Suzie. Poison. Can't move."

"Do you know what kind?" asked Owen as he kneeled down to him, needle in hand and stethoscope in the other.

Ianto mumbled no before closing his eyes. The need to sleep was becoming increasingly overwhelming with each passing moment.

"His heart rate is decreasing to abnormal levels," growled Owen, throwing the stethoscope back into his bag just in time to see Ianto's eyes closing. "No, Ianto, don't close your eyes."

"I'm tired."

"Owen, do something," Jack snapped, squeezing Ianto's hand tighter.

"I'm thinking!" Owen yelled back. "If I give him the wrong antidote it would do more harm than good. I want to save his life, not kill him." Running his fingers through his hair, he let out a frustrated sigh before snapping his fingers. "Tosh go to the SUV and get my blood analyzer scanner," he demanded. "If the poison is still in his system I can identify it and give him the proper antidote."

Tosh raced out of the room while Owen pushed the needle into Ianto's vein and drew some blood. Tosh rushed back into the room a minute later, analyzer in hand and set it down next to Owen. He didn't waste any time placing the blood sample on the scanner and waiting nervously for the results.

"Got it," Owen cried out as he thrust the scanner into Gwen's hand before reaching into his bag. Pulling out another needle and three vials, he quickly mixed the drugs together before filling the needle. Seconds later the clear liquid was going into Ianto's vein. "Now we just have to wait and hope we weren't too late. We need to get him back to the Hub."

Jack scooped Ianto up in his arms and carried him out of the flat, the rest of his team behind him.

* * *

Five hours.

That's how much time had passed since Suzie tried to kill Ianto. Five hours since she shot Jack and almost shot Gwen, before turning the gun onto herself.

Owen's antidote had worked, saving Ianto from the poison but it had to finish working its way through Ianto's system. Once it had Ianto would wake up. That's the way he explained it to Jack anyway. Jack wouldn't believe anything until Ianto was awake and talking.

Four hours later the team, minus Gwen who had gone home, were surrounding Ianto's bed. Jack was sitting down and holding Ianto's hand in his. No one was talking; the only sounds in the room were the machines the unconscious man was attached too.

Finally it was Owen that broke the silence. "So you can't die?"

Jack sighed heavily as he looked up at his team members. "No," he finally answered. "I can't."

"Why not?" asked Tosh curious.

"Something happened to me a long time ago that made it impossible for me to stay dead."

"Can it be fixed?"

He shrugged. "Don't know but I'm hoping so," Jack replied brightly. "I just need to find the right kind of doctor."

Both looked at each other, nodding before turning back to Jack. "But why didn't you tell us?" Tosh asked, face full of emotion.

Once again Jack gave them a shrug. "I got so good at hiding it I didn't know how to even approach the subject."

"I bet you told Ianto," Owen pointed out with a scowl.

"I had to. I can't really explain why but I had to tell him."

Tosh reached out and placed a hand on Owen's shoulder. "We understand, Jack, really we do. It's just a lot to take in."

"Maybe you guys should head home. Get some sleep."

Owen immediately shook his head, disagreeing with Jack's suggestion. "I will as soon as Ianto wakes up. I need to be here in case something happens."

"Well at least go get something to eat.

Owen looked ready to argue but a light squeeze from Tosh kept him quiet. "Alright. Just make sure you call us if anything changes."

Tosh let go of Owen's shoulder and gave Jack a smile. Do you want anything?" she asked.

"No," declined Jack.

"I'll get you something anyway. You won't be any help to Ianto if you don't take care of yourself."

"Thanks, Toshiko."

"You're welcome." Reaching out, she grabbed Owen's arm and began pulling him out of the room.

Owen had no choice but to follow. "Call me immediately if he wakes up. I mean it, Jack," he yelled before he and Tosh disappeared from sight.

"I promise," he tried to yell back but it only came out as a whisper. He squeezed Ianto's hand tighter as he held it up against his face. It wasn't until he heard breathing behind him that he realized he wasn't alone. Turning around he found Gwen standing there smiling sadly.

"How did you get in?"

"Tosh," answered Gwen. "She let me in."

"Oh," Jack replied, turning back around. "I thought you had gone home for the night."

"I did but I came back because I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss."

"Ianto's not dead."

"I was talking about Suzie," clarified Gwen as she took a step closer. "I can tell you cared for her and even after everything she did that doesn't go away overnight."

"Is this the part where you tell me you know how I'm feeling?" sniped Jack cynically.

Gwen simply shook her head and moved until she was standing next to Ianto's bed, across from Jack. "No, because I don't know the pain you must be going through and hopefully I never will," she stated. "But this is the part where I tell you someday it won't hurt as much. Maybe not today or tomorrow but someday."

"Did you mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"That we should be doing more to help people," replied Jack somberly. "You do remember saying that, right?"

Gwen gave him a nod. "Some of it is still a bit foggy but I remember that part. Sorry for calling you a bastard," she replied with a toothy grin.

Jack grinned back. "Don't be," he shrugged. "I deserved it. I keep telling the team that the twenty first century is when everything changes. Maybe the change is supposed to start with us."

"Sounds logical."

"So, did you mean it?"

"I did."

"How would you like to do just that? Become the liaison for Torchwood and the police."

She let out a gasp. "Seriously?"

"When it comes to jobs I do not kid," Jack answered firmly. "So how about it?"

"When do I start?" replied Gwen without even hesitating. She was about to give her thanks to Jack when she was interrupted.

"So this is what I have to do to get you to listen to me," wheezed Ianto as he turned his head to see Jack sitting next to him.

Jack leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss onto Ianto's lips. "Ianto, it's so good to hear your voice," he grinned ecstatically as he pulled away.

"I concur," Ianto replied. "For a moment there I thought my life was over but thanks to you and the team I'm alright."

Guilt filled his eyes and he turned away from Ianto. "I'm sorry about everything," he whispered. "I just-"

But Ianto only squeezed Jack's hand harder forcing the leader to look at him. "This was not your fault," he stated sternly. "You're human, Jack. As much as you forget it sometimes you are human and you are entitled to your mistakes. It's what you do next that makes the difference."

"Thank-you."

"You're welcome," whispered Ianto lovingly as he used his other hand to softly caress Jack's cheek. "Now go, call Owen like you promised."

"You were awake when he said that."

"No, but I know Owen wouldn't have left if you hadn't promised to call him. He's a doctor first and foremost and that trumps everything else."

Jack quickly conceded, giving Ianto another kiss before standing up. "Alright I'll go but only if Gwen promises to stay until I come back."

"Go, Jack," answered Gwen without any hesitating. "I'll watch over him."

"Thanks."

Gwen watched Jack stand next to Ianto, eyes lingering on his lover for a few more seconds before finally moving away leaving the two of them alone. She hadn't known the pair that long but she knew they had the kind of love that was written about. What they had was real and she wished to witness more of it. "He loves you very much," she said, smiling down at Ianto.

Ianto gave her a slight nod. "That I have no doubt about," he smiled as he looked up at Jack who was a few feet away on the phone talking to Owen. "And if you're wondering, the feeling is quite mutual."

* * *

The next day, after a battery of extensive tests, Ianto was allowed to go home. Jack decided that his team needed a break after everything that happened with Suzie so he ordered that they all take a week's vacation. No one had to come into the Hub unless the world was ending.

When he opened his eyes he knew he was alone in the bed. Reaching over, he felt the sheets on Jack's side of the bed and realized they were cold. Ianto got out of the bed and as he put his slippers on he thought about all the places Jack could have gone. After searching the entire flat he realized there was only one place his lover could be. "What are you doing up here?" asked Ianto as he walked over to where Jack was standing.

Looking out at all the buildings below him he shrugged. "I'm good on roofs, you said so yourself," he smirked, finally looking at Ianto.

Ianto gave Jack a quick nod. "I did but you should be sleeping, not watching the city."

"I don't need much sleep."

"No you don't, but you do still need it." Wrapping an arm around Jack's waist he attempted to move his partner. "Come back to bed."

Jack didn't move. Instead he turned his attention away from Ianto and back to the lighted city, remaining quiet for a few moments. "Five minutes later and you would have been dead," he whispered bitterly into the night.

"You don't know that," Ianto replied, shaking his head.

Shaking his head adamantly, Jack slipped out of Ianto's grip and moved a few spaces away. "Doesn't matter if it's true or not, you still could have died and it would have been all my fault," hissed Jack as he slid his hand over his face. He came up to the roof because he wanted to ease the guilt he was feeling but for some reason he only made it worse.

"Jack." Ianto said softly as he grabbed his lover by the hand. "I thought we went over this already. This wasn't your fault, it was Suzie's."

"But is because you tried to warn me about her and I didn't listen. I didn't want to believe that someone I trained and trusted could betray me the way she did. It's because of that you almost died."

Ianto let go of Jack's hand and grabbed the older man's face. "No, I almost died because Suzie saw me as a threat and wanted me out of the way. She poisoned me. She shot you and tried to kill Gwen," he stated firmly with a growl. "She killed those people, not you so you have nothing to be sorry for."

"But still-"

"No, no buts," interrupting whatever Jack was about to say. Gently caressing Jack's face with his hands, he gave Jack a soft smile. "I understand that you cared for her and you feel as though she was your responsibility but at the end of the day she was her own person. With her own mind and her own decisions." Pausing for a moment Ianto placed a chaste kiss against Jack's forehead. "We can't make decisions for the people we love even though we might want to. She already took life from too many people, I won't have her take yours too."

Jack let out a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist. "I don't know what to do," he mumbled against Ianto's neck.

"You do what you have to do. You mourn her, hate her, forgive her, I don't care; but do not lose yourself because of her. I won't have it."

Without saying anything, Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto passionately. "I love you, Ianto," he whispered once he pulled away.

"I love you, too," smiled Ianto, happy that he got through to Jack. "Now let's get you back to bed and back to sleep."

Jack frowned. "I'd love to, Ianto, but I'm not very sleepy."

"I'm sure there's something I could do about that."

With a raised brow Jack grinned mischievously. "Really? You think so?"

Ianto chuckled. "I know so." Grabbing Jack by the arm, he dragged him away from the ledge and over to the door. "Now come you, I hear the bed and it's calling our names."

"Sir, yes sir."

"Aye aye, captain."

* * *

So did you love it. For all of those wondering if I was going to let Ianto die I just want to say that I would never do such a thing, especially not to my Ianto. Unless of course it was for a challenge or request but personally I have a policy to not kill off my favorite characters. It hurts to much. I can make them suffer but death is almost always out of the question. As for other things like the whole team finding out Jack can't die. I don't know why I added that it just felt right, just like it felt right keeping Gwen on the team. I don't hate the character I just hated how she was written and if I was a writer I would have written totally differently like I did in this story. But anyways I hope you enjoyed my happy ending as well as the entire story and please be on the lookout of for more. Don't know why but I have a feeling I'm not as done with this fandom as I thought. Until next time,

Life is what you make it so make it worth while,

LadyCizzle


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